The Domino Effect
by Beledi1113
Summary: SPOILER ALERTS for season 8 – an AU for episode 9 (using an idea borrowed from episode 5). One domino falling can set off a chain reaction. What if that one domino is Richard Castle?
1. Chapter 1 The First Domino

**The Domino Effect**

 _Summary_ : SPOILER ALERTS for season 8 – an AU for episode 9 (using an idea borrowed from episode 5). One domino falling can set off a chain reaction. What if that one domino is Richard Castle?

 _AN_ : Yeah, yeah, I said I was going to take a break from writing Castle fanfic, but this plot bunny (or should I call it a plot worm?) worked its way into my brain. I'll probably be posting 1 chapter a week. And I'm borrowing from some of my other season 8 stories because those ideas work so well with this story. And yes, to those of you whom it matters to, there will be Caskett at the end.

Don't own Castle, because if I did, they wouldn't have split up this season. Just waiting to see what happens.

 **Chapter 1 – The First Domino**

# # # # # # # # # #

Scientific research has shown that smell and memories are closely linked, that smelling a certain odor (or fragrance in polite terms) can bring back a flood of memories or feelings long forgotten or repressed.

The smell of chlorine can bring back memories of swimming in a pool as a child on lazy, hot summer afternoons. The smell of a roasting turkey, memories of a happy Thanksgiving long ago, stuffing oneself and then spending hours playing football with cousins.

Likewise, the memories and feelings linked to smells may not be as pleasant. The smell of lilies can bring sadness if they are associated with the funeral of a loved one. A smell of garbage can bring back memories of an unpleasant experience of fruitlessly digging through the garbage to find a lost item. The smell of pine, a Christmas of special significance whether good or bad.

Richard Castle had spent a frustrating morning in his PI office, looking for a case that could get him back into the 12th, back to find out why his wife of 1 year needed space.

He didn't lack for cases; he just lacked a case that coincided with those of the 12th at the moment. He picked up a folder, rejected it, and flung it across his desk, hitting the large vase of flowers that his mother had so graciously deemed to decorate his office with.

Martha's play had been a success and her loving fans had showered her with so many flowers that Castle had suggested that she start a floral shop on the side. As a result, his office was now adorned with several of the arrangements.

He groaned as the vase, filled with flowers and fetid water crashed to the floor. He really should have gotten rid of those earlier in the week when they started dying, but they fit his mood of late.

Just his luck, he thought as he stood and walked to the utility closet to get the mop, broom, and dust pan.

He was still at a loss about Kate's behavior and she was still cagey about her reasons the few times he had seen her recently. Maybe he should hire a PI to follow her to find out what was going on, he thought rhetorically, as he knelt down to start picking up the pieces of the shattered vase. He certainly wasn't getting any answers and that fueled his anxiety.

It was then that the smell hit him – the fetid smell of water, mixed with the sweet smell of the flowers – and the fear – and he was immediately transported back…to where…?

Losing his balance, Castle stumbled backwards, finally hitting the shelves, knocking off several of the items.

Oblivious to the sounds, he sat there, shaking, as snippets of memories overwhelmed him, incapacitating him to all reason.

They were in a swamp – Bilal, Powers, and him – trying not to move so that their position wouldn't be given away, praying fervently that a crocodile was not gliding towards them, ready to pull one of them under and roll them.

Where was he? Thailand – the land of tropical beaches, opulent royal palaces, ancient ruins, and ornate templates, not to mention several species of the most deadly snakes on the planet and thousands of mosquitoes who had a great time feasting on him.

As a boat came near, Powers motioned him to duck under the green slime and he did, staying until his lungs were aching from lack of oxygen. As carefully as he could, he stuck his head back out of the water, praying that the boat had left the area.

They had come to rescue Bilal and bring him back to the States. But something had gone wrong – there was a problem with the plane, but what?

They had gotten to the plane, waiting to take off, Bilal bleeding from a gunshot wound. Castle had opened a crate to find a bandage, but instead, found several bricks of powder wrapped in plastic, which led to a hasty exit from the plane and more shots being fired.

He opened his eyes, suddenly back to the present. "Drugs," he said, "there were drugs on the plane."

A CIA plane with drugs on it – and Kate had been tracking a plane. There were no coincidences. Could that be what Beckett was doing? Trying to find these people – these CIA drug runners? Bracken dealt in drugs, made his empire using drug money. What if it wasn't over?

And suddenly it all made sense to him, but left him with unanswered questions.

Were they the ones who erased his memory of the event? But why not simply kill him, unless he had been correct and it would draw attention – the unwanted kind of attention that came from having a black ops agent for a father. And if they were CIA, they might have known that.

What he did know without a doubt was that 'they' – a faceless enemy – were watching him, had probably been watching him since he returned home.

After a while, he doubted the convenience of the explanation of his disappearance but didn't have anything concrete to base it on. But now…?

And if they realized he was starting to remember, they would have no problem making him disappear. Not just him, but anyone he loved – Beckett, Alexis, Martha, the boys…Just like Beckett's AG team.

And he couldn't let that happen – he wouldn't let that happen.

Castle stood unsteadily and walked to the desk, taking several deep breaths as he leaned against it. He had to leave, disappear – he was a danger to everyone he knew – but he had to be discreet about it.

He quickly cleaned up the broken vase, mopping up the water and flowers and tossing them in a plastic bag before storing it in the kitchen of the bat cave.

He then picked up the items that had fallen from the shelves, putting back those that hadn't broken and putting the broken items in the trash.

Satisfied that the office looked normal, he opened the secret drawer in his desk and removed the passport he stored there, along with the petty cash, and stuffed the items in his coat pockets.

Now what to tell Alexis? She had finals, so he could say that he couldn't find a case that would work and was going to the Hamptons to get some writing done. He'd be back later and if he didn't answer his phone, he was probably in the zone.

Castle sent the text and then looked at his cell phone. Was that how they were tracking him? If so, then he'd accommodate them and leave the phone here so they would think they knew where he was.

He thought for a moment and then opened the box on top of his desk that contained his gun and took it out, slipping it into a holster he kept in the desk and then tucking the holster into his belt.

Without a backwards glance, he walked out of his office and locked the door. He was determined to end this once and for all – to get his life back for real this time and to get his wife back.

# # # # # # # # # #

Early that afternoon, Alexis opened the door to Castle's PI office and walked in. She had gotten his text, but needed to stop by anyway because the repair man was coming to fix the water cooler.

She tisked to herself slightly as she walked into the office, seeing the files scattered about the desk. Sometimes her dad's filing skills were lacking, a trait he obviously got from her grandmother.

Alexis tidied up the desk and then sat down to pay some bills while she waited. When she opened the secret drawer that the company checkbook and petty cash were stored in, she frowned. The petty cash was gone – but who would take it?

Had they been burglarized? She was certain the door had been locked before she unlocked it.

Frowning, she quickly pulled up the video feed from the security cameras in the office on the laptop. Her eyes widened as she watched the playback and she pulled out her phone.

She hesitated for a moment. Her father hadn't seen Beckett in several weeks so would she even be willing to help? But who else could she call? He wasn't a missing person – he left of his own accord – to do something dangerous, she was sure – so she couldn't file a missing person's report.

Her mind made up, Alexis thumbed the number.

Beckett answered on the second ring.

"Kate," Alexis said in an almost panic, "something's happened to Dad and I need your help. I think he's gone. I'm at his PI office. I don't know what to do."

Alexis didn't have to wait long for Beckett to get there.

"Alexis?" Beckett called as she rushed through the front door.

"In here," Alexis said.

"Alexis, what's going on? Why do you think Castle is gone?" Beckett asked as she walked in.

"Because of this," Alexis said as she replayed the loop from the morning.

Beckett's frown deepened as she watched the tape and heard Castle's comment. By some miraculous, or maybe not, happenstance, he had connected all the dots and figured out what was going on.

"Kate, I looked and he took the passport he had here too, along with the cash," Alexis said. She took a deep breath and ducked her head, whispering, "It wasn't his real passport. He had a fake one made a couple of years ago in case he had to leave the country quickly."

Beckett frowned again. "How much money did he take?"

"$10,000," said Alexis. She looked at Beckett questioningly. "Kate, what's he doing? Where did he go?"

Beckett frowned slightly as she took Alexis' hand and gave it a light squeeze. "I'm not sure, but we'll find him."

She pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "Listen, Alexis, I need to make some phone calls, but call me anytime, especially if your dad calls."

Alexis nodded. "I will. And Kate, please be careful."

# # # # # # # # # #

Beckett waited until she sat inside her car and pulled out a business card, looking at it before dialing the number. She wasn't sure if Rita would answer it anyway.

The phone rang twice and then she heard a beep.

"I need your help. He's figured it out," she said succinctly and then hung up her phone.

Hopefully the cavalry was on its way.

# # # # # # # # # #

Castle stared at the lights in the distance from the slightly open door of the empty freight car he sat in and pulled the cheap jacket he had bought at Goodwill closer to him as he shivered.

When he was a child (and sometimes as an adult), he had fantasized about being a hobo, the freedom of hopping trains and riding around the country unencumbered. He had quickly come to realize it wasn't as glamorous as his imagination made it out to be.

The car was cold and lurched at odd times, throwing off his balance. It had no bathroom, definitely no beverage and snack service, but it served the purpose of allowing him to slip into Montreal unseen by prying eyes.

He would start his search there – at the warehouse he had been led to by the messages he had left.

And with any luck, he'd find what he was searching for.

# # # # # # # # # #


	2. Chapter 2 The Second Domino

**The Domino Effect**

 _Summary_ : SPOILER ALERTS for season 8 – an AU for episode 9 (using an idea borrowed from episode 5). One domino falling can set off a chain reaction. What if that one domino is Richard Castle?

 _AN_ : Thanks for all the reviews, favs, and follows. That really means a lot. I was hoping to update this sooner, but my brother came into town so we spent several days doing touristy things.

Don't own Castle. Rated high T for swearing.

 **Chapter 2 – The Second Domino**

# # # # # # # # # #

The call came sooner than Beckett expected and started with a simple, "This line is secure. Have you and Vikram found something?"

"No," said Beckett, standing in her office and running her hand through her hair as she paced.

"Then why did you call me?" asked Rita in a not-too-friendly tone.

"Because Castle knows what I'm doing," Beckett replied. "He knows about LocSat and the drugs."

"He's a smart man," Rita said. "He was going to figure it out sooner or later. This is my only warning –don't use this number again unless you've actually found something. Otherwise, you're just wasting my time."

"No – no," Beckett blurted out. "Castle remembered something from when he was missing and he's gone. I think he's looking for them."

The line was silent for a moment before Rita responded coolly, "And what do you expect me to do about that?"

"Send someone after him before he does something stupid and gets himself killed," Beckett urged.

Rita sighed like she was dealing with a small child. "Kate, he's only one man. We're not going to jeopardize our investigation just for him."

"But—" Beckett replied.

"You're in the big league now, Kate. We all know the risks – the sacrifices that have to be made. That's why I don't see my husband very often," Rita said. "That's the choice I've made and the one you made when you went after them."

Beckett squeezed back the tears in her eyes as the line went dead. She was on her own, but what could she do at this point? She was a captain now and couldn't just leave and chase after Castle.

She plopped down inelegantly in her chair and dropped her head between her hands, desperately searching for an answer.

Where would Castle start his search? If he took his passport, maybe Thailand? How in the hell could she track him there?

Or Montreal? That warehouse where he had been? It would be easier than getting to Thailand at this point.

Beckett took a breath as she picked up the phone. "Simms, this is Captain Beckett. Last year, Tori Ellis had done a search for a warehouse in Montreal. Can you call me back with the address? Thanks."

She drummed her fingers as she waited, knowing that she couldn't focus on work at this point.

What she was about to do would keep Castle out of harm's way, but would he ever forgive her for doing it?

# # # # # # # # # #

Castle turned up the collar of his coat and pulled it around him closer, as much for a disguise as for warmth in the chilly breeze as he walked towards his destination in Montreal – the warehouse that Tori's search had found.

He had finally arrived in the city in the wee hours of the morning without a problem thanks to a young man named Kensington who hopped the train when it slowed in Albany.

Apparently Kensington was an old-hat at 'hoboing', being a broke and eternal college student who went to college in Albany and had family in Canada. For the price of several packs of cigarettes, the young man had showed him how to slip past the engineers who searched the train regularly during the trip for unwanted individuals.

They spent the rest of the time swapping stories and Castle had come up with a character based on him for his next book – if he ever decided to write again, or was alive to write after what he was about to do. He had been warned against doing exactly what he was doing, but now he needed answers about the memories that were clawing their way into the consciousness of his mind.

Castle watched the warehouse for several minutes before squeezing through a hole in the fence that surrounded the abandoned building.

The third floor was exactly as he had seen it almost a year ago, still dusty, still deserted. He let out a disappointed breath – he wasn't sure what he would find here, maybe a mysterious note that said 'Colonel Mustard in the kitchen' that would break this case wide open.

He had made the tapes here, but had it been a mere coincidence that the location could be pinpointed? He didn't believe in coincidences – there had to be a connection. Did they want him to find this place? And if they did, why did they warn him not to come back?

Castle pulled on exam gloves and took his time examining the area, looking at anything that could be construed as evidence, snapping pictures on his phone, and bagging small items that he came across.

He was so engrossed in what he was doing that he didn't hear the quiet footsteps behind him as 2 men approached.

Castle almost died from fright and peed himself as bright lights suddenly flooded the area and the men yelled, "SPVM! Richard Edgar Castle, you are under arrest for entering the country illegally and trespassing." while training their guns on him.

# # # # # # # # # #

Castle sat up from his prone position on the hard bench in the holding cell as an officer came to the door and unlocked it.

"Mr. Castle, you're free to go," he said simply. "You can pick up your personal effects at the outtake window."

"Thanks," Castle replied, frowning slightly as he walked out of the cell.

He was surprised when they gave him back his fake passport and cash and summarily dismissed without explanation until he walked outside and saw the fake Jenkins waiting by a black town car.

Castle scowled as Jenkins opened the door and said, "You've got a flight to catch and I'm here to make sure you're on it."

"So you're responsible for springing me from the pokey?" Castle asked as he got in the car.

"Let's just say that the Canadian government thanks you for your help in testing our new facial recognition software, being that your face is well-known in some circles," said Jenkins as he slid into the seat next to Castle.

"Yeah, snap," retorted Castle as the car pulled away from the curb. "It's getting so high in here and I forgot my waders." He slumped back against the seat and crossed his arms across his chest sullenly. "What's the catch?"

"You were told not to come back, so why did you?" Jenkins asked.

"Apparently you suck at memory wipes because I remembered something," Castle replied drily.

Jenkins sat up straighter, suddenly interested. "What was that?"

"Being in the jungle with Bilal and Powers. Bilal had been shot and was bleeding. I was looking for bandages in the containers on the plane, but I found drugs instead." Castle stared at the man curiously. "Did you know about that?"

Jenkins shook his head. "No, I was told that there was a mechanical problem with the plane and they had to send another one. What else?"

"We were hiding in a swamp while someone was hunting for us," Castle said. He looked down at his side. "I think that's when I was shot."

"Who else knew about the drugs?" Jenkins asked.

"Obviously the people who put the drugs on the plane and the people they were delivered to. Powers did and he's dead. Bilal was out of it, so I doubt he knew. Why?" Castle asked suspiciously. "Does this have anything to do with LocSat?"

Jenkins took a breath and nodded. "I've heard rumors of drugs being shipped to the States on CIA flights, but we could never prove it was true." He paused. "But now, you're the only person who can confirm that this happened."

Castle shook his head in disbelief. "If I could do that, why in the hell did you erase my memory?"

Jenkins pursed his lips before speaking. "We didn't. And we didn't realize it had happened until you were found."

He opened the valet compartment in the town car and pulled out a carafe. "Coffee?" he asked.

"Only if you're drinking it too," Castle answered warily. "I take mine without sedatives."

Jenkins chuckled as he poured 2 cups of coffee and handed one to Castle. "As do I. Salud," he said, taking a sip. He paused a moment.

"When your team landed, Bilal was taken to the hospital and you were supposed to be debriefed and then flown back to New York. Unfortunately, the person who was supposed to debrief you was found dead after you had left the base to go to the airport. We tried to find you but you simply disappeared."

Castle opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to think of something to say. He finally settled on, "But why would they let me live if I knew what they were doing?"

It was Jenkin's turn to scoff. "Why do you think? They knew who you are – rather, whose you are and knew that if you died during or after the mission, he would move heaven and hell to find out why and then to find them."

"Good to know I have an ace in the hole," Castle said, nodding. "Now what? I give a statement?"

"About what?" asked Jenkins.

"About them – what they are doing," Castle said.

"And say what exactly? Do you know the model of the plane? Maybe the tail identification number? Can you identify the pilot or the person you left the base with?" Jenkins replied bluntly.

That took the wind out of Castle's sails. "No. I don't remember any of that." He sat back and massaged the bridge of his nose. "So now what?" he finally asked. "If one memory came back, will the rest of my memories come back?"

Jenkins shrugged. "It's hard to say. But we might be able to help you with that." He paused as the car pulled up to the airport. "There are serious risks though that should be considered first. And unlike them, we'll let you decide."

Jenkins pulled a card out of his wallet and handed it to Castle. "Call me if you want to discuss it."

"So I just get out and go back home?" Castle asked. "What if they are watching me?"

"They've been watching you since you were found – the events of last spring should tell you that. And they are probably watching you now," Jenkins replied.

"But what about you? If they're watching me, they know about you," Castle replied.

Jenkins smirked slightly and handed Castle a ticket and boarding pass. "All they know about me is that you were helping the CSIS test their new facial recognition program by sneaking into the country and now, we're escorting you back to the airport for the trip home, business class, courtesy of the Canadian government."

He paused for a moment. "As long as you don't investigate the case, you and your family will be safe. Let the professionals handle it."

"Right, because you do that so well," Castle retorted. He drained his coffee cup and put it back in the holder before getting out of the car. "Thanks for the ride."

"And Rick, next time you come to Canada, use your real passport," Jenkins warned as Castle shut the door and walked into the terminal.

# # # # # # # # # #

Jenkins watched Castle for several minutes to make sure the writer was truly going back home.

As the car pulled away from the curb, he poured the remainder of his coffee back into the carafe and put the lid back on, sliding it back into the valet panel. He then took out a bottle of water and a small plastic bag containing 5 capsules and downed them with a sip.

Jenkins pulled his phone out of his coat pocket and tapped a contact.

"It's done. Let's see if that shakes anything else loose."

# # # # # # # # # #


	3. Chapter 3 The Third Domino

**The Domino Effect**

 _Summary_ : SPOILER ALERTS for season 8 – an AU for episode 9 (using an idea borrowed from episode 5). One domino falling can set off a chain reaction. What if that one domino is Richard Castle?

 _AN_ : Thanks for all the reviews, favs, and follows. That really means a lot. And a second chapter today.

Don't own Castle. Rated high T for swearing.

 **Chapter 3 – The Third Domino**

# # # # # # # # # #

Even though the flight had been smooth, Castle had developed a throbbing headache by the time the plane landed and pulled up to the terminal.

Now all he wanted to do was to go home and crawl into bed forever and never leave. But that thought depressed him even more – the bed was cold and lonely since his wife had left him to investigate LocSat. She had even lied about doing that, not outright to his face, but a lie of omission none the less. And that left a bitter taste in his mouth because she had just promised no more lies.

Secrets he could understand. She was a captain now and there were certain things she wouldn't be able to share with him, just like when she had worked for the AG office, and he was mostly okay with that.

Lucy was right, he thought pathetically as he walked towards the front door practically dragging his feet – his life sucked.

He caught his breath when he saw who was waiting for him, hope flaring for a moment, before realization kicked in.

"You called the cops on me," he said as he walked up to Beckett, stopping a foot away from her, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"You scared the hell out of Alexis and me, leaving like you did," Beckett said. "What did you expect me to do, Rick?"

Castle let out a half-snort, half-laugh and nodded. "The security cameras in my office. I should have erased the tape."

Beckett shook her head. "No, you shouldn't have. You should have come to me and we would have figured something out."

"Really? Because that was your first thought when Vikram called you – to come to me for help?" Castle commented sarcastically. "I seem to recall that you didn't and then you just walked out."

Beckett pressed her lips into a thin line, her brow furrowing. "Rick, it's different—"

"No, no, it's not," Castle said suddenly, cutting her off, hissing at her in a quiet voice. "What you're doing is dangerous and you lied to me about it, just like you lied about the job interview in Washington, DC. And you think that you're the only person who can solve…'this'. That no one else is capable of doing this? What am I supposed to do, Kate? Just sit around until I get a phone call from Ryan or Espo that you've disappeared or that they've found your body because of … this."

"Rick," Beckett pleaded.

Castle ran a shaking hand through his hair. "I can't do this now. You shouldn't have come. Go back to your office or wherever it is you go. I'll catch a cab home."

Scowling, Castle turned and walked away, leaving Beckett watching him, tears in her eyes.

# # # # # # # # # #

The day dawned bright and sunny, a cool, clear morning in October with the feeling of fall definitely in the air.

Castle stretched and sat up in bed, swinging his legs off the side. His headache was gone and he was in a much better mood, except…he sniffed the air. He hadn't bothered to shower when he got home last night, just falling into bed with his clothes on. And now he was definitely on the ripe side.

He quickly took care of matters, showering and shaving, and pulled on a robe before walking into the kitchen, looking for something to quiet his growling stomach.

"Good morning, Lucy," he said as he passed his personal assistant sitting on the kitchen counter on his way to the refrigerator.

"Good morning, Rick," the machine replied pleasantly. "It's Thursday; the temperature is a balmy 50 degrees out, with a high of—"

Castle poked his head around the open refrigerator door. "No, it's Wednesday," he corrected and then paused. But how could a machine be wrong?

Hadn't he flown home yesterday evening? Beckett had been waiting for him…and that hadn't gone so well. He really needed to apologize for his behavior even though he had been mostly correct.

"No, Rick, it's Thursday morning," Lucy confirmed.

Castle pushed his findings back in the refrigerator. This morning's breakfast would have to be two cups of coffee, one with a double-pump of sugar-free vanilla, a couple of bear claws, and a big serving of humble pie, he thought as he rushed into the bedroom to change.

# # # # # # # # # #

Having bought several extras, Castle waited at the precinct elevator for LT to come let him up and thanked him with a sack and a cup of steaming Joe.

As he rounded the corner, he could see Beckett in her office on her phone. Ryan's and Espo's desks were empty.

He sat one of the sacks on Ryan's desk and then walked over to Beckett's door, knocking on it gently.

Beckett looked up, her face going blank as she saw him. She held up her hand as she continued the conversation.

After a few minutes, she hung up the phone and then motioned for him to come in.

"Hey," Castle said quietly, putting the cup of coffee and sack on her desk as a peace offering. "Sorry about the other day. I don't know what got in to me."

Beckett pursued her lips and nodded. "It's okay."

Castle shook his head. "No, Kate. It's not. I shouldn't have said what I said to you."

Beckett stood up and came around her desk. "But you said what you believe." She thought a moment. "Rick, I'm sorry for not including you – I wish that I could tell you what's going on, but—"

"It's too dangerous," Castle interrupted. "I already know about…this – in fact, I'm a part of it, so what difference does it make now?" he pleaded.

Beckett closed her eyes and was about to respond when her laptop beeped. With a sigh, she walked around and closed a meeting reminder. "I've got a meeting at 1PP. Can we talk about this later? Here tonight?"

"Sure," Castle replied.

As they walked into the bullpen, Ryan exited the elevator. "We got a lead on last night's murder, Captain," he said as he walked over to the murder board. "There was a witness who saw a black car drive away. Vikram is running footage for license plates."

"Good," Beckett replied. "I've got a meeting at 1PP but I'll catch up when I get back."

She walked to the elevator as Castle looked at Ryan.

"So where's your better half?" Castle joked.

"In the morgue letting Lanie sew up his hand. He cut it when we were apprehending a perp a little while ago," said Ryan as he wrote on the murder board and then turned to face Castle.

"I bet she's enjoying that," said Castle, perching on the edge of the desk, looking at the murder board. "Hey, your vic looks like Espo."

Ryan swiveled around to look at the picture. "Yeah, he does. Raphael Ortiz – security guard gunned down on the job last night," he said out of habit. "Turns out he works for one of the real Henry Jenkin's security companies."

As Castle stared at the picture of the dead man on the board, his vision narrowed and outside sounds became muffled as his head started to throb again.

He knew him – he had seen him before, but where? Castle narrowed his eyes at the picture. On the plane – he was certain the man had been on the plane from Montreal with him. But he knew him from someplace else, he thought as the memory tried to claw its way into his consciousness.

"Hey, bro," said Espo as he walked off the elevator, his white shirt streaked with blood and a big bandage covering his hand.

"Bad day to wear white. Did Lanie remember to give you a shot for distemper?" Ryan chortled.

"You wish," retorted Espo. He turned to Castle, frowning and waving his bandaged hand towards him. "Castle, what are you doing here? Beckett just left for 1PP."

When the smell of antiseptic hit his olfactory senses, Castle was back there…wherever there was… with a security guard wearing a white uniform shirt streaked in blood holding him down…and his flight or fight instinct kicked in.

# # # # # # # # # #

Beckett was just opening her car door when the call had come that her meeting had been rescheduled to later in the week. Several of the required members had just been pulled into budget meetings.

Maybe if Castle were still here, they could talk a little longer and come to some sort of agreement.

She walked back in the building, taking the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator in her rush to get back to the floor.

When she opened the stairwell door to her floor, she could hear the chaos taking place in the bullpen and quickly ran into the opening, stopping short when she saw what was happening.

Espo lay on the floor, Castle straddling him, his thick hands wrapped around the dazed man's neck, while Ryan and LT were trying in vain to pry the writer off of the detective.

# # # # # # # # # #


	4. Chapter 4 Gaining Momentum

**The Domino Effect**

 _Summary_ : SPOILER ALERTS for season 8 – an AU for season 8 (using an idea borrowed from episode 5). One domino falling can set off a chain reaction. What if that one domino is Richard Castle?

 _AN_ : Thanks for all the reviews, favs, and follows. That really means a lot. And, yeah, it's almost Monday again and time for a new Castle episode. Just imagine the trouble Castle would have gotten into if he had met Slaughter first and based a character on him. And vote early, vote often for the People's Choice Awards.

Don't own Castle.

 **Chapter 4 – Gaining Momentum**

# # # # # # # # #

The siren voice that he knew so intimately called to him over and over, drawing him back to the light that was trying to break through the swirling darkness that threatened to overwhelm his consciousness. He had clutched onto that voice with both hands, using it as an anchor in the storm, trying to keep himself afloat and not give up and let the water take him and end it.

And suddenly, just like the last time, he was back, but this time staring into hazel eyes as his vision cleared and he realized where he was and what he was doing.

Eyes widening, Castle released his hold on Espo and crab-walked backwards until his back hit a desk and he could retreat no further.

"What the hell happened, man?!" demanded Ryan as Espo coughed weakly and rolled over on his side, stunned by the attack.

Beckett put a hand on the detective's arm to calm him. "Ryan, call Lanie and tell her we need her up here STAT."

She then turned to Castle and knelt in front of him, directly in his line of sight. "Rick, look at me," she demanded, turning his chin towards her face.

Beckett waited until his eyes were focused on her. "Rick, I need you to go into my office and wait there – can you do that?"

Castle nodded slowly as he looked back at Espo.

Beckett stood and looked at LT. "LT, can you help Castle into my office and wait with him? I'll be in there in a minute."

LT nodded, "Yes, sir." He put a hand under Castle's arm and helped the shaky writer get to his feet and led him into Beckett's office.

A few moments later, the elevator doors opened and Lanie stepped out. "So what's the big lug done now – rip out my lovely handiwork?"

She gasped when she saw Espo on the floor and then quickly recovered, rushing over to him, kneeling down to get a better look. "What happened?" she asked, looking at Beckett and Ryan.

"Castle went mental and attacked him," Ryan said.

Lanie hummed as she gently felt Espo's neck and saw the bruises starting to form. "Honey, don't try to talk," she warned him.

She looked up at Beckett. "He'll need to go to the hospital for x-rays to make sure his larynx isn't cracked. And probably for observation for 24 hours to make sure there are no complications."

Lanie looked back at Espo who was about to protest. "Uh uh," she said putting her finger on Espo's lips as he started to say something. "Your larynx is bruised and may be cracked. No talking for at least 24 hours."

Beckett nodded and looked at Ryan. "Ryan, please call 911."

She then looked at her office and pressed her lips together. She would have to report this and that would probably end Castle's chances of returning to the precinct.

Beckett took a breath and started towards her office when Ryan stopped her.

"Are you sure you should be going in there? I mean, what if he freaks out again?" he asked in concern.

Beckett shook her head with a slight smile. "I'll be fine, Ryan. Just take care of Javi."

The Irish detective nodded and pulled out his phone.

She walked into her office and nodded at LT. "Thanks, LT. I've got this."

"Yes, sir," the policeman nodded and walked out of her office.

Beckett watched Castle for a moment as he sat on the couch, elbows propped on his knees and head cradled in his hands, and then walked over to kneel in front of him.

For the second time that day, she lifted his chin so that their eyes could meet.

"Rick, it's okay," she said softly. "Tell me what happened. Did you remember something else?"

Castle swallowed thickly. He knew he was standing on a precipice that could determine their future. He had two choices – he could tell Beckett what had actually happened or do the very thing he had accused her of – keep her in the dark and investigate on his own. And what did that say about their relationship?

He took a breath and made his decision. "That man – the dead security guard – I've seen him before," he said. "He was on the plane the other day, coming back from Montreal. And he was there when they started to erase my memory. I remember his bloody shirt – his bandaged hand."

Beckett frowned. "Rick, are you sure?"

Castle nodded. "Yeah, I am." He sat back and scrubbed his face with his hands. "But there's something else…"

He squeezed his eyes shut, concentrating on the images whirling in his brain and massaged the web of his right hand with his left fingers. "His hand was bandaged – they grabbed me and I stabbed him with a…fork – in his right hand."

Beckett nodded. "Okay. I'll check it out."

She started towards the door and then paused. In the past, before she was the captain, she would personally go to the morgue, but now a phone call would have to do.

She quickly dialed the morgue and waited for an answer. Lanie had gone with Espo in the ambulance, but another ME would be on duty.

Perlmutter answered after a few rings. "Perlmutter."

"Perlmutter, I need to verify something. The victim brought in yesterday, Raphael Ortiz, can you check his right hand and see if it has any scars on it?"

"Hold on while I check."

There was a brief lull as she could hear Perlmutter opening one of the compartments and sliding out a tray.

He came back after a few minutes. "Yes, he does – looks like he was stabbed with a fork. From the state of the scar, I would say that it's more than a year ago. Do you want me to send a picture of it?"

Beckett shook her head. "No, but thank you. I just needed you to verify it."

She hung up the phone and looked at Castle who nodded.

"It makes sense," he said. "They need someone to guard the drugs when they get here." He looked out at the murder board in the bullpen. "Ryan said he worked for one of the real Jenkins' security companies. Maybe they thought I could identify him so they killed him."

Beckett pursed her lips and thought about how to proceed. Normally, she'd send Ryan and Espo to question Jenkins about his employee, but there was nothing normal about this. And asking about his connection to illegal drugs would be a dead giveaway about her secret investigation and the results wouldn't be pretty.

Besides the fact that neither of her detectives was available now.

She looked at Castle. He was already involved so there was no point in keeping him out of the investigation now. "You up for a road trip? I thought we'd pay Henry Jenkins a visit to see what he says about his guard."

Castle nodded, a slightly curious and hopeful expression on his face. "Sure."

"But first," Beckett said as she picked up the phone. "Vikram, can you come in here for a minute?"

Castle stood and pulled himself to his full height as his rival in Beckett's investigation walked in.

"You wanted to see me, Captain?" the analyst asked, quickly glancing at Castle.

"Where are you on the license plate that the witness saw?" Beckett asked and motioned for him to close the door.

"I just got back a report that the plates were stolen from a different vehicle. The owner didn't even notice it until the police pulled him over yesterday."

Beckett nodded. "Good." She looked at him and said quietly, "I need you to run a search on Henry Jenkins – his information is in the case file when Castle was missing. See if he has any connections to the CIA."

Vikram looked at Castle nervously and then back at Beckett and nodded. "I'll get on that."

"Thanks," Beckett said.

# # # # # # # # #

The silence in the car was awkward, a very long pregnant pause that ate at both of them.

Castle finally broke the silence when he asked, "So this is why you left me – so that you and Vikram could investigate LocSat in secret?"

Beckett chewed on her bottom lip as she drove. The cat was finally out of the bag and there was no way to push it back in. "Rick, I just wanted to keep you safe – to keep you out of this."

"By making sure I didn't know what you were doing?" Castle countered. "It looks like the universe has other plans."

"Look, Castle—" Beckett started to say but then her car made a loud rattling noise and started losing speed. "What the hell?" she said, looking down at the control panel to see if there was any warning message, but there was none.

"Over there," Castle said, pointing to a gas station just past the exit they were nearing.

The car had just enough juice to make it to the exit and then into the parking lot of what turned out to be an abandoned gas station.

Beckett tried to start her car several times, but to no avail, and then sat back in her seat and stared at the building. Just their luck, she thought as she pulled out her phone – they couldn't catch a break.

Beckett frowned as she looked at the phone and then looked at Castle. "I don't have any bars – do you?"

"No," Castle shook his head as he held his phone in different positions, and then opened the car door and tried again. He finally put the phone back in his pocket and looked around. "Maybe they have a pay phone?" he suggested as Beckett got out of the car.

She nodded. "I'll look around back – see what you can find in the office."

They split up, Beckett walking around the back of the building and trying the doors there, Castle peering through the front windows.

"Hey, Beckett," he called. "There's a phone on the desk."

Castle walked to the front door and tried it, but found it was locked.

Beckett walked back to where Castle stood.

"It's locked," Castle said.

Beckett nodded and walked a few feet away to pick up a brick.

"Hey, you can't do that," said Castle as she walked back to the glass door and raised the brick.

"So you suggest we just stand here until someone comes along? Looks like we might have to wait a while," Beckett commented drily as she dropped her arm and looked at him.

"No," said Castle, shaking his head. "You're an NYPD captain. Breaking and entering won't look good on your record. Here, let me," he said, holding out his hand.

Beckett hid her smile and handed him the brick. "Okay – just make sure not to cut yourself."

"Oh, ye of little faith," Castle scoffed as he took off his coat and wrapped it around his hand before using the brick to smash the glass near the lock.

Fortunately the lock was a single cylinder deadbolt and Castle could simply unlock it by reaching through the hole in the glass.

He opened the door and, ever the gentleman, motioned for Beckett to go through first.

She quickly walked over to the desk and picked the phone up, but wasn't surprised when there was no dial tone. Now, they'd have to walk back to the highway to flag down help.

Beckett turned around and froze when she saw Castle standing there, his hands raised, as a man in a black mask stood behind him with a gun pressed into his head.

"You know, you two are very hard to get in the same place now that you're not living together anymore," said Jackson Hunt as he lowered the gun and stripped off the mask. "So what did you do to piss her off, son?"

# # # # # # # # #


	5. Chapter 5 Safety Break

**The Domino Effect**

 _Summary_ : SPOILER ALERTS for season 8 – an AU for season 8 (using an idea borrowed from episode 5). One domino falling can set off a chain reaction. What if that one domino is Richard Castle?

 _AN_ : Thanks for all the reviews, favs, and follows. That really means a lot. And, yeah, it's almost Monday again and time for a new Castle episode. Vote early, vote often for the People's Choice Awards. And I happen to like Rita – not sure if she's really Hunt's wife or not though; hopefully we'll find out one way or another.

Don't own Castle.

 **Chapter 5 – Safety Break**

# # # # # # # # #

 _Safety-break – The removal of a few tiles in key points in a pattern to stop the toppling chain-reaction from destroying all the painstaking hard work before it is ready._

# # # # # # # # #

Hunt's comment flustered Castle for a moment as he tried to think of a response. "I have no clue," he finally decided on since it had been the truth until he had found out differently a little while ago.

"Really?" responded Hunt. "That's the best you can come up with? No wonder she left you."

Beckett looked at the asset pointedly. "Rick didn't do anything," she said in a firm voice. "This is all on me. Rita said that Castle couldn't be part of what I was doing."

Hunt raised an eyebrow at her. "Rita, huh? Then you must have done something really bad to get on my wife's radar."

"Your wife? You're married?" Castle asked in astonishment. "You told me that attachments are liabilities."

Hunt nodded. "They are and that's why we don't see each other very often, except for an occasional R&R break."

"Eww," Castle said under his breath, suppressing a shudder. Both of his parents really had a tendency to overshare.

Hunt looked back at Beckett and suddenly the twinkle in his eye was gone. "Yes," he nodded, "this _**is**_ all on you. And your analyst boy-toy Singh isn't as smart as he thinks he is. His covert searches tripped flags he doesn't even know exist. Your interference may cost us this investigation and years of work and I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen."

Beckett frowned at the unexpected news. She had thought they were being discreet, that no one knew what they were doing.

"Knowing Rita, she told you to let this go," Hunt continued. "You should have taken her advice, Captain, and left this to the professionals."

Beckett bristled at that and said defiantly, "I _**am**_ a professional."

"Wrong type," Hunt responded. "You're a homicide cop – a damn good one, but a cop none-the-less. You've been taught to think a certain way – follow the clues to find the evidence needed to make sure the perpetrator can be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. We don't necessarily do that."

"But I – " she looked at Castle apologetically, " – we brought down Bracken."

Hunt shrugged. "Using evidence that Roy Montgomery gave your mother that you finally found because Richard decided to look into your mother's case. If he hadn't done that, you never would have taken Bracken down. And we'd have a murderer as President."

"She helped you take down Gemini," Castle said in his wife's defense.

Hunt shook his head. "Window dressing – it was you that he was after to get information about me, and it was you that I knew I could use to get to him," he said, looking at Castle. He looked back at Beckett.

"Did Rita tell you how we met?" Hunt asked.

Beckett shook her head. "No."

"We were after the same target, not unlike the 2nd Mr. and Mrs. Smith movie. After we caught him, we compromised – she took half of him back to her agency, and I took half back to mine. I knew then that I had met the woman of my dreams."

Hunt studied their reactions for a moment. "Like she said, you should have left this to the professionals. But since you didn't, we now have a problem and my agency doesn't like problems.

"We've only recently been able to connect Jenkins to LocSat, but he's not a member of the top echelon, and that's who we're after." Hunt looked at Castle. "We think you met one of them on the mission to retrieve Bilal when they were bringing a large shipment back into the States."

"Is that why they erased my memories – so I couldn't tell anyone about LocSat and what they were doing?" Castle asked.

Hunt nodded. "Yes, and now, they're afraid your memory is coming back and are taking actions to prevent that."

Castle frowned. "They're right – it is coming back, but just bits and pieces. Nothing useful so far."

"And that's why you went to Montreal – to see if you could find something to help you remember," Hunt said.

Castle nodded. "After what happened, I thought it would jog my memory, but it didn't."

"Yes, it did, but you didn't realize it then," Hunt prompted. "That's when they realized they had a problem."

Castle's head popped up. "The dead security guard – he was on the plane – and he was one of the people there when they were erasing my memory."

Hunted nodded in return. "They were testing you to see what you remember."

Castle paced as he thought. "I didn't think anything of it at the time, but he dropped his book as we were walking onto the plane and I handed it back to him. The headache started shortly after that." He frowned at Hunt. "But why kill him? Just because I could identify him?"

"Bait," Hunt said simply. "Jenkins assigned him to a warehouse in the 12th precinct so you would get the case when they killed him. And since you knew Jenkins from Castle's disappearance, they knew he be questioned, not as a suspect, but as a person of interest because it was one of his security guards who was killed. They just had to wait for someone to come question him."

He looked at Beckett. "They would have used whomever you sent as bait to get you and then used you to bait Castle and taken you both out." He paused. "They'll probably take Singh out at some point when he becomes a nuisance."

Beckett nodded and pursed her lips as she thought. "So now what?" she asked, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"This is where it gets dicey," said Hunt. "We could have put you in protective custody, but that would tip our hand that we know they're on to you, so that was off the table. We could have let you walk into Jenkin's office without any warning, but you wouldn't have walked out alive – not a favorite option of mine.

"So that left us with option 3 – to stop you on the way to Jenkin's office and tell you what's going on. It's a little sooner than we'd like, but we can make this work. We want you to go to Jenkin's office. And when they make their move, we'll make our move. And we'll try our damnedest to get you out of there alive."

Castle took a breath and let it out slowly. "I don't see that we have much choice in the matter."

"No, you really don't," Hunt said as he shook his head. "Ready for outfitting," he said to no one in particular as Castle and Beckett looked around for whomever he was talking to.

# # # # # # # #

"I'm sorry," Beckett said quietly to Castle as they were being outfitted with the latest listening devices. "I didn't intend to drag you into this. I thought I was keeping you safe by keeping you out of it."

Castle looked at her for a moment. "Kate, I may not agree with what you did, but I understand. It's what I did to protect you from Bracken. It's why I didn't tell you about Smith."

"Yeah," said Beckett. "Gates called it the gift that keeps on giving."

"So we're good now?" Castle asked hopefully. "We're partners again?"

Beckett nodded, blinking back tears as she shrugged her shirt back on and buttoned it. She should have known she couldn't have done this without him. "Yeah," she said, giving him a soft kiss.

"You know," Castle said as they touched foreheads, "if the situation wasn't so dire, I'd be thinking of ways to get you out of that shirt."

Beckett smiled and laughed softy, rewarding him with another kiss. "Keep that thought in mind for later," she whispered.

"Ready?" Hunt asked as he walked back into the room.

The technician nodded and handed him a tablet. "Yes sir. Just monitor on this frequency."

Hunt nodded and stuck an ear bud in his ear. "Now, here's the plan."

# # # # # # # #

 _ **Author's Notes**_ – And for all of you who are going to complain that Castle forgave Beckett too easily for what she did, this isn't a magic fix that makes everything right all of a sudden. They still have issues that need to be worked through, which will be coming later in the story. I'll be out of town this weekend, so won't be posting until early next week. Thanks for reading.


	6. Chapter 6 The Cascade Begins

**The Domino Effect**

 _Summary_ : SPOILER ALERTS for season 8 – an AU for season 8 (using an idea borrowed from episode 5). One domino falling can set off a chain reaction. What if that one domino is Richard Castle?

 _AN_ : Thanks for all the reviews, favs, and follows. That really means a lot.

Rated high T for swearing. And yes, for all of you purists out there, the CIA would never let Castle and Beckett come on a take-down operation, but this is fanfic based on a TV show and it's so much more exciting that way. And this chapter has taken a little longer to write because I wanted to get the plot set up correctly.

Disclaimer - I don't own Castle.

 **Chapter 6 – The Cascade Begins**

# # # # # # # # #

The real Henry Jenkins' office was in a non-descript warehouse with nothing on the outside that would tell anyone that a high-end security company was housed here, not even a security guard standing sentry at the front door of the office.

Castle stared at the building warily when they drove up and wasn't sure what he had been expecting – maybe the lair of a supervillain from a James Bond movie. "It looks so plain," he said as they got out of the car.

"They certainly don't advertise who they are," Beckett replied. Castle opened the front door for her and she walked through into a small lobby that housed just a TV screen in the far wall that was scrolling through pictures of breath-taking landscapes.

They stopped at the same time, looking around the small room with identical perplexed frowns on their faces. There were no visible signs of any doors leading to another part of the complex.

"I take that back," said Castle, looking at Beckett.

The scene on the screen suddenly changed to show the face of a young Asian woman. "Good morning and welcome to HJ Enterprises. How may I assist you?" she inquired, speaking in perfect pleasant English.

Beckett flashed her badge at the screen. "I'm Captain Beckett, NYPD, and this is Richard Castle, an NYPD consultant. We need to talk with Henry Jenkins."

"May I ask what is this is reference to?" the young woman politely asked.

"I need to ask him some questions about his employee, Raphael Ortiz, who was murdered this week," Beckett replied.

"I'll see if he's available," the young woman said. "It will be just a minute."

The screen changed back to the landscapes as Beckett looked around the empty room. She had a feeling it wasn't as empty as it seemed to be.

"Wow," commented Castle, "she didn't even bat an eye when you said that."

A moment later, the young woman was back, with a pleasant smile on her face. "Mr. Jenkins is available and will be up shortly to escort you back to his office.

"Mr. Castle, our scans show that you are carrying a cell phone in your left coat pocket. We do not allow any type of recording device in the facility, so please put your phone in the open drawer. You can retrieve it when you leave."

Castle frowned as a hidden drawer in the wall underneath the TV monitor slid open.

Beckett raised an eyebrow at him to comply and he reluctantly pulled out his phone and put it in the drawer which closed with a snick.

"Captain Beckett," the young woman stated, "our scans show that you also carrying a cell phone and 2 guns, one at your waist and another on your left ankle. Any type of weapons is strictly forbidden in our facility; therefore, I must ask you to remove them and put them in the open drawer. You can retrieve them when you leave."

Beckett's frown deepened and she shook her head. "No, I won't," she flatly refused.

"Policy dictates that no personal weapons are allowed in the facility. Perhaps you'd like to schedule a time for Mr. Jenkins to come to your office?" the young woman suggested.

Beckett shook her head. "No, we really need to talk to him today."

"Then I have to ask you to remove your weapons before entering the facility, Captain Beckett," the young woman stated politely.

Beckett shook her head again. "And I've said that I won't."

"Then we are at a stalemate," said the young woman.

Castle stared at the screen as he walked up to it and then looked back at Beckett. "Beckett, she's really not blinking. I think you're arguing with a computer."

Beckett frowned again and then thought. "Is there anyone else we can talk to?" she asked.

"I am the receptionist," said the young woman. "It is my job to screen people coming into the facility and only allow the appropriated people to enter."

Beckett almost growled in frustration and looked around again. There was no door to yank open and storm through, which is precisely what she wanted to do at this point.

The screen started to fade into landscapes again.

"No, no, wait," she said as the screen pixilated and then Henry Jenkin's face appeared.

"Sorry about that. We're having problems with our new 'receptionist' program. Detective Beckett, you said you wanted to talk to me about Raphael Ortiz?"

Beckett nodded. "Yes, and it's Captain. We need to ask you a few questions that might help us find his killer."

Jenkins nodded. "Yes, such a tragedy. Raphael was a good employee. He'll be missed."

He looked at Beckett with a slight smile. "Just follow Robbie to my office. And Captain, I'm sure I can trust you not to discharge your weapons here."

A hidden door to the left of the TV screen slid open and a small beeping device on rollers sat on the floor and then led the way through a maze of corridors to Henry Jenkins' office.

"Captain Beckett," said Jenkins as he stood up and shook hands with her. "Congratulations must be in order since you were a Detective when we met a year ago."

"Thank you," said Beckett. "But we're here about Ortiz. He was one of your security guards."

Jenkins nodded. "Senior branch security manager actually. Raphael started here about 15 years ago and quickly worked his way up through the ranks."

He shook his head and sighed. "It's a shame really. One of the guards on the night shift called off sick and, being the manager that he was, Raphael worked his shift."

"Was there anything in the warehouse that would have made him a target?" asked Beckett.

Jenkins shook his head. "It was empty. The new tenant hasn't moved in yet, and we've been having trouble with vandals in the area."

"So could have the other guard been the target? Maybe for something he had reported recently?" Castle asked.

Jenkins thought for a moment and then shook his head. "No, not that I'm aware of."

Jenkins' phone chirped and he pulled it out to look at it. He looked at Beckett. "They need me at the warehouse, but I see you have more questions. So, if you don't mind, we can talk on the way there and then Robbie can see you out."

The walk to the warehouse was down another corridor full of twists and turns.

Castle chuckled as he walked. "You'd really have to have a guide to get out of here."

"Oh, we get used to it. The colored stripes on the walls help."

The warehouse was buzzing with activity as various items were being boxed into large crates.

"Looks like you're moving," Castle said as they walked up the stairs to a small 2nd floor office that overlooked the warehouse floor.

"Retiring actually," Jenkins replied. "I recently sold my firm to the Chinese for a very tidy profit and now I'll have time to take my wife on that around-the-world trip she's always wanted. In fact, we're leaving this afternoon as soon as I retrieve some property of mine that went missing."

He looked over Beckett's shoulder and smiled. "In fact, Captain, you met a couple of years ago during your unfortunate run-in with Vulcan Simmons. This is my wife, Elena Markov."

Beckett spun around, going for her gun, as the Russian woman aimed a gun at her.

"I wouldn't recommend it, Captain," said Markov. "I prefer a knife, but you'll find that I'm extremely efficient with a gun also. Now carefully pull out your guns and gently put them on the floor, and then slide them to me. Don't make any fast movements, or you'll be a widow before your first anniversary."

Castle could only stare at the couple in disbelief as he held up his hands – he could not get a break. "Geesh," he commented under his breath, "even the bad guys are happily married."

"Please sit down, Captain," said Jenkins, motioning to desk chair. "There's no need to stand. Hands on the arms, please."

Beckett glared at him as she sat down. "You won't get away with this," she growled.

"Oh, we already have," he said as he quickly duct taped her hands to the arms of the chair and her ankles to the chair legs. "Or did you think that those listening devices your friends gave you this morning will work here? Amidst all of this bleeding edge technology? Or do you think that one of our employees will come to your rescue?"

He looked out at the warehouse. "No such luck – this room is soundproof and has one-way mirrors. I can see them but they can't see me. I find it keeps them on their toes – keeps productivity up." He turned back to them. "And it helps me conduct business when I need to."

Jenkins looked at Castle. "So, now, Richard, for our unfinished business. I want to know what you did with the diamonds that you stole - the ones I was going to use to pay for the drug shipment from Golovkin."

# # # # # # # #


	7. Chapter 7 The Cascase Continues

**The Domino Effect**

 _Summary_ : SPOILER ALERTS for season 8 – an AU for season 8 (using an idea borrowed from episode 5). One domino falling can set off a chain reaction. What if that one domino is Richard Castle?

 _AN_ : Thanks for all the reviews, favs, and follows. That really means a lot. Hopefully this chapter will clear up some of the confusion between the real Henry Jenkins (who we learned in Driven owns a private security firm in Boston) and the fake Henry Jenkins (whom we don't know who he really is yet – does that even make sense?). Rated M for violence and torture so if those are triggers, don't read.

Disclaimer - I don't own Castle.

 **Chapter 7 –The Cascade Continues**

# # # # # # # # #

"Diamonds?" Castle stuttered.

"And I bet your friend, the fake me, didn't even tell you that," Jenkins said as the surprised look at their faces. "The nerve of him, but he's CIA and they lie. Oh, you can sit too."

Jenkins looked at Markov. "Would you be a dear?" he asked as she walked over to him and gave him the gun and then left the room.

He turned back to the couple. "Yes, diamonds. Man-made diamonds stolen from a secret US military research facility. Excellent quality – almost flawless. Perfect for lasers and several countries are willing to pay millions to get them to see if they can replicate them.

"I bought them at a very good price from a 3rd party and Golovkin was the highest bidder who dealt in the currency I use," Jenkins continued.

"Drugs," said Castle. "Illegal drugs. I remember them being on the plane in Thailand." He frowned for a moment, looking down, thinking hard. "One of the guards on the first plane had a badge on his shirt." He looked at Jenkins suddenly, eyes wide. "It was your company logo – it was LokSat."

"Excellent – this may not be as hard as I thought," said Jenkins, nodding. "So, Richard – may I call you that? We got to be such good friends when you stayed at my trailer last year, but you don't remember any of that and that's the problem, isn't it?"

Jenkins paced for a moment. "I blame myself for that. By the time I found out that the diamonds were missing, we had already erased your memory – a major faux pas on my part."

Castle stared at the man. "So why did you erase my memory?"

"Simple really – you found out what we were doing and your CIA file designates you as an untouchable." Jenkins regarded the writer for a moment. "I'm not sure why and my cousin couldn't find anything that would warrant it. So we had to silence you without calling attention to ourselves.

"What was more fitting than a twice-divorced man, a 'ladies' man' so to speak, walking away from a 3rd marriage because of cold feet? Several months later, someone would have found your body on the beach in the tent you had lived in since you left – cold feet led to the misery of regret that led to an overdose of pills," Jenkins explained. "But then you had the bad manners to escape."

"Well, if I had died, the diamonds would have been lost forever – too bad for you," Castle said sarcastically.

Castle and Beckett stiffened as Markov walked back in the room, carrying a TENS machine, and sat it on the desk.

"Dr. Frankenstein, as we call him, assured me that you wouldn't remember anything from the incident, but he was wrong, wasn't he?" Jenkins questioned. "You started remembering last spring when you saw Golovkin who was in New York looking for you and Powers. By the way, Powers rolled on you before he died. He told Golovkin that you had the diamonds."

"But Golovkin was going to kill me," said Castle.

"Slowly, I'm sure," said Jenkins, "until you coughed up the location of the diamonds. He can be very persuasive. But thanks to your friend at the CIA, Golovkin is out of the way. It's much easier with the middle man gone."

"So you're LokSat?" Beckett asked.

"Ah, the light finally dawns and the truth shall set you free, except you're all tied up," said Jenkins. "Yes, one of my many companies. But I think I did mention that I had just sold it to the Chinese, so they are technically LokSat now."

"Just tell me one thing," Beckett asked. "Did you kill the AG team because of the memo?"

Jenkins chuckled. "No, Captain Beckett. This was never about that, never about you and what you had done – this is and has always been about Castle." He nodded his head as he looked at her.

"Since his incarceration, I've had some interesting conversations with your nemesis, the late ex-Senator Bracken, about my problem. He told me that, given the right circumstances, you'd tilt at windmills, so we made one to distract you. We leaked the memo and took out your old AG team. And you distracted Castle. It was fun watching you and that wanna-be analyst chase your tails. Almost as fun as watching the CIA chase theirs."

"You killed Bracken," Beckett said.

"It was inevitable. He knew too much," replied Jenkins. "He thought he was safe until Elena showed up."

"It won't do you any good," Castle said matter-of-factly. "They know who you are – the CIA."

"Really?" asked Jenkins. "Because if they did, they'd be here instead of you and they aren't. I took a page from Texas history – do you know how Santa Anna evaded capture? He dressed in a dragoon private's uniform. So I've done the same thing and they think I'm the low man on the totem pole, not the general.

"So now we come to it," Jenkins continued. "I couldn't make a move until the deal with the Chinese closed, and now it has, and I want my diamonds back."

He studied Castle for a moment and then turned on the TENS machine and picked up the wand, looking at it. "Dr. Frankenstein assures me that your memories might come back if you are under severe stress and it looks like he was right." He glanced at Beckett. "My guess is that's why you've started to remember things recently. So now, I'm going to make life very stressful for you."

He looked back at Castle. "Like I said, I read. I've even enjoyed your books, especially _Heat Rises_. So now we're going to see if the real Nikki can take the heat."

Castle's first instinct was to jump up and protect his wife, but Markov pointed the gun at Beckett as his muscles tensed.

"Don't try anything," she warned as she walked to stand behind him.

"Now, whether you and your estranged wife walk out of here or not is up to you," said Jenkins as he approached Beckett with the wand. "I'm going to shock her and you're going to remember."

"No," said Castle, shaking his head vehemently, trying to stop what has about to happen. "What if Dr. Frankenstein is wrong? What if it doesn't work that way? Just take me and leave her here. You can do whatever you want to me."

"No," breathed Beckett.

"As tempting as that is, we don't have room for any extra baggage," said Jenkins. "This is a low-level setting," he said as he touched the side of Beckett's face with the wand and she jumped slightly. "How'd that feel, Captain?"

Beckett just glared at the man.

"No," said Castle, shaking his head.

"And now something a little higher," he said, twisting the nob on the machine and pressing the wand under Beckett's chin.

Her head shuddered uncontrollably and her jaw tensed so hard that her teeth ground together. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

After a few moments, the wand was removed and Beckett's head fell forward as she gasped for air and fought nausea.

Jenkins looked at Castle. "Anything yet?"

"No, no," said Castle, eyes wide in fear. "Stop! I don't remember. I'd give you your damn diamonds if I knew where there were. But please don't hurt her."

Jenkins nodded. "That entirely up to you, Richard." He raised the level and pressed the wand against Beckett's side.

Her body jerked uncontrollably, and she moaned, now semi-conscious, her head lolling forward.

After a few moments, he removed the wand and then looked at Castle as the writer grimaced and grabbed his head in pain.

"Good," Jenkins said, nodding. "Perhaps we shouldn't have made remembering so painful. Looks like we may have to get more intimate," he said as he pressed the wand against Beckett's upper thigh which twitched uncontrollably.

"No," groaned Castle as he slid off the chair, clutching his head, and curling in on himself in a fetal position.

Jenkins put the wand down and watched Castle as he rocked on the floor, mumbling to himself about jungles, snakes, and elephants.

"Richard, where are the diamonds? Where did you hide the diamonds?" he demanded.

"Jungles and snakes," Castle muttered and then his voice fell to a whisper.

"Richard, think about the diamonds," Jenkins demanded.

"Diamonds," echoed Castle as he started whispering again.

After a few moments, Jenkins knelt down to hear what Castle was saying, only to have the writer grab his neck with his left hand and pull him closer.

"Green elephants swallowed the diamonds and a snake swallowed the elephants," Castle said, wide-eyed, frantic.

"Really?" Jenkins said in disbelief.

"No, dipshit" said Castle as he shot Jenkins with the plastic gun that Hunt had given him.

He rolled quickly and shot Markov as she pointed the gun at Beckett.

He then knocked the gun away from where the assassin had dropped it and grabbed the duct tape from the desk and secured both of them as they lay dazed on the floor. First rule when the oxygen masks are deployed on the plane – always put yours on first so that you have enough awareness to help those around you. First rule in being an asset – make sure the threat is neutralized before doing anything else. Otherwise, you can wind up dead.

"I read too and Santa Anna's disguise didn't fool the Texans either," Castle said as he tightly bound their hands and feet with duct tape.

Satisfied that they were not going anywhere, he scrambled to where Beckett sat slumped in the chair. "Kate, Kate," he said, cradling her face in his hands, pushing her sweaty hair off of her forehead, tears in his eyes. "I am sorry – I am so sorry."

Beckett raised her head and smiled at him – she was definitely going to be sore, but no worse for the wear. "Did it work?"

Castle nodded. "Yeah, it did." He undid the duct tape holding her down and helped her stand. "Great acting, by the way."

Beckett smiled slightly as she hung on to Castle when her leg gave out. "It wasn't all acting. I think I pulled a muscle."

"Yeah, I know." Castle said as they walked to the door. "Now, let's get out of here and let the cavalry do its job."

# # # # # # # # # #

Castle wanted to sweep her up in his arms and carry her out, but that would have drawn too much attention to themselves, so he settled for helping her down the stairs.

They walked through the maze of corridors and finally had to ask a man in a jumpsuit how to get to the lobby.

"Just follow the yellow lines on the floor," he replied.

# # # # # # # # # #

From the safety of a van, Beckett and Castle watched CIA agents swarm through the complex like an army of ants, following the scent of food back to its source. They scoured every inch, carefully cataloguing everything in the warehouse.

"Rick, I'm sorry," Beckett said finally, looking at Castle, her brow furrowed. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear as she paused, carefully choosing her words. "I thought I was protecting you by leaving you out of the investigation. I was wrong."

Castle nodded. "Kate, I meant what I said – when you have a problem, we have a problem. We're better together," he said. "But that doesn't mean I'm not still mad."

"I know," Beckett said, ducking her head and then looking at him. "Can we talk tonight? When I come home?" she added hopefully.

"Always," Castle said as he pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head.

Beckett contentedly sank into him, glad that he could forgive her.

A knock on the van door broke the spell as the fake Jenkins stuck his head in.

"You know, we need something different to call you other than the fake Jenkins since the real Jenkins turned out to be the bad guy," Castle said.

"How about Jack Bauer?" the fake Jenkins replied. "I hate to break up this reunion, but we need to debrief you. Separately, of course. And to find out if you remembered where the diamonds are."

"Okay," nodded Castle. "But I hope it won't take too long – we have plans tonight."

# # # # # # # # # #


	8. Chapter 8 The Final Domino

**The Domino Effect**

 _Summary_ : SPOILER ALERTS for season 8 – an AU for season 8 (using an idea borrowed from episode 5). One domino falling can set off a chain reaction. What if that one domino is Richard Castle?

 _AN_ : Thanks for all the reviews, favs, and follows. That really means a lot. Rating goes back to T in this chapter and A for heavy angst. I didn't want to slap Beckett's hand too much for her choice in the first two episodes of season 8, but I feel there would have been job-related and personal consequences because of her actions. Hmmm, this is a bit long, but it sets up the final chapter.

On a side note, my thoughts and prayers go out to all of the people in Paris and France.

Disclaimer - I don't own Castle.

 **Chapter 8 – The Final Domino**

# # # # # # # # #

Beckett stared at the rising sun out of her window seat on her early morning flight back to NYC from Washington, D.C., glad to be going home finally, smiling as she took a deep breath. It was over – really over – and she could go back home.

Her debriefing had turned out to be a 4-day sequestration at CIA Headquarters to discuss what she and Singh had found during their investigation. The first 3 days were long and tedious where they interviewed her by herself in an interrogation room, going over each minute detail ad nauseum from the time Singh had called her what seemed like an eternity ago until she and Castle had taken down Jenkins and Markov. The next day was spent with Singh, going over his notes.

When they offered her the opportunity, she decided to stay one more day for the final debriefing on LokSat.

After its leaders were taken in custody, the organization had collapsed quickly, each cell left to fend for itself. The CIA was sure that most of the people were in custody and only a few underlings had escaped the traps set up for them.

The night before she left, the head of the CIA met with them, lauding their excellent work and stating that he wished he could give them a commendation, but the US government would never acknowledge that such an extensive conspiracy ever existed – it wasn't in the public's best interest to do so. And then came the stern warning to never discuss this case with anyone, lest they also disappear like most of the people involved in LokSat had.

Beckett started to mention how Castle had helped in taking down LokSat, but the severe look she got from the fake Jenkins stopped her. When he dropped her off at her hotel at 2 am, he assured her that he and Castle had already had 'the talk' and Castle understood the ramifications.

After the plane landed and taxied to the gate, Beckett pulled out her phone to check for any calls and texts. She had texted Castle before she left that she would be back early that morning, but not surprisingly, hadn't heard anything from him. He typically wasn't awake at 5:30 am unless he had been up all night.

She quickly texted him another message to let him know that she was here but had to stop at 1PP first per Gate's orders for an ass-chewing she was sure to get.

Beckett looked at her watch. It was 6:30, so she had time to grab a quick bite to eat and a cup of coffee before heading to 1PP.

She walked out the front of the terminal and was about to hail a cab when she saw Deputy Chief Gates standing beside a black town car, giving her husband a quick kiss before he picked up his carry-on and walked into the terminal.

Beckett paused for a moment and then walked over to where Gates stood after the woman motioned to her.

"Captain Beckett," Gates said, nodding at her.

"Sir, I thought we were meeting at 1PP at 8:00 am," Beckett said, nodding back.

"I had to drop my husband off for his flight to visit his mother, and a friend called to let me know you were arriving this morning," Gates responded. "So I thought I'd kill two birds at one time, so to speak."

"Yes, sir," Beckett said, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she got into the back seat of the car.

Gates touched the button to roll up the privacy screen and turned on a small overhead light. She sat back in the seat, intently studying Beckett for a few moments and then let out a breath. "Never in my career have I had so many calls from other governmental agencies about an officer in my command except for you."

"Sir, I can explain—" Beckett started but Gates raised her hand to stop her.

"And I'm sure you'll come up with something believable, hopefully more so than that tall tale Detective Esposito told about the incident at the precinct with Mr. Castle. His foot slipped indeed," Gates scoffed.

She shifted slightly and became more serious. "Since I became Captain at the 12th, you've amassed what some would say is a long list of black marks on your record. You did some mystery work with the CIA where your car wound up at the bottom of the Hudson. You went after a suspect without proper backup and then resigned your commission rather than being suspended. After you resigned, you went after the same suspect again as a private citizen, this time resulting in his death. You then changed your mind days later and returned to the NYPD."

Beckett could only nod during Gates' litany.

"You quit to join the AG's office and then rejoined when they fired you just after 2 months on the job because you leaked sensitive information to the press. You were promoted to Captain but before you could even report for duty, you took off on some mission given to you by the AG's office and did not report in for 2 days.

"And this latest incident – you've been using NYPD resources once again to work on an unsanctioned case that involves the CIA and then they whisk you off to who-knows-where for several days."

Gates paused for a moment. "So, Kate, let me ask you point-blank – what the hell is going on? 1PP takes a very dim view of your actions and passed over several well-qualified candidates with more seniority for the Captain's position based on my recommendation."

Beckett nodded and took a breath, trying to decide what she could or should not tell her superior officer.

"It's my mother's case," she finally said softly.

"Your mother's case?" Gates questions. "I thought that was closed when Bracken was arrested."

Beckett shook her head and looked at Gates. "I thought so too, but he had a partner. And when I found out, I knew I had to do something."

Gates nodded. "Thank you for that information."

She thought a moment before continuing." "Kate, let me give you some advice that I should have given you the first time you came back. Like it or not, you're a woman working in what's still considered a man's world. You have to be smarter, work harder, and know which rules to bend."

Gates paused. "Your mother's case is like an albatross hanging around your neck. It seems to be the case that keeps on giving," she said, repeating her words from years ago.

Beckett shook her head. "Now that his partner has been neutralized, that case will no longer be an issue."

"Are you sure this time?" Gates quietly asked her.

Beckett paused. As twisted as it had gotten and as deep as the conspiracy had been, could she ever be sure the case was fully closed? She answered truthfully. "No, I don't know that for a fact."

"Then I have to ask this, Kate – are you back for good or will you take off the next time…something related comes up?" Gates asked as the car pulled up to the 12th. "And maybe that's a rhetorical question. For now, you are still Captain of the 12th, but your probationary period has been extended. Based on these little … variances, I have to warn you that it may be extended for the full duration of your career with the NYPD."

"Yes, sir," Beckett replied.

"Now, go upstairs and relieve your temporary replacement. And then decide what you'll do if there is a next time," Gates finished.

"Yes, sir," Beckett replied again as the driver opened her door.

As she walked through reception area, she took her phone out of her pocket and dialed Castle's number before pushing the button for the elevator.

"Hey, babe, it's me. I haven't heard from you. And I just got my ass thoroughly chewed by Gates and have to go to the precinct first. Call me."

# # # # # # # # #

Several hours later, after reading all of the reports that her replacement had written during her absence and not being able to stand Ryan's and Espo's looks that said she was doing something fun without them again, Beckett left the precinct to go to the loft.

She still hadn't heard from Castle and this time of the day, Alexis was either in school or at the Richard Castle Detective Agency. Maybe she should have gone there first, but she wanted to have this conversation in private.

She knocked loudly on the front door but didn't hear any movement inside, so she used her key to open the door.

"Rick, are you home? Babe?" she called out, looking around.

The loft was quiet, almost too quiet, and a little warmer than usual; the furniture was covered with white sheets.

As she walked around, she noticed some of her larger things were missing – the painting that they had hung on the stairwell, the little knick-knacks she had mingled with Castle's, the sea shells on the wall of their bedroom.

Castle's laptop sat perched on his desk like always, but there was no sign that he had been at the loft for several days.

Beckett quickly dialed Martha's number and, when the phone rang several times, waited for voice mail to pick up so she could leave a message.

"Martha, this is Kate. I'm looking for R—" she started to say and then was cut off when Martha hastily answered the phone. "Martha," she began again. "I'm at the loft – I'm looking for Rick, but he's not here. Do you know where he is?" She chuckled slightly. "And it looks like the place is still decorated for Halloween."

"Oh, Katherine, we didn't know how to get in touch with you since…well, you know." Martha took a breath. "Richard has gone away for a while. He didn't know when you'd get back so he left a letter with Hayley for you. You can probably find her at the office."

Beckett shook her head. "Martha, I don't understand. Has he gone to the Hamptons?"

"I think it's best if you read his letter – it will explain everything," Martha answered. "And Katherine, call me if you need to talk to someone."

Beckett stared at her phone as the line went dead, a feeling of dread growing in the pit of her stomach. She quickly dialed the number Hayley had given her and left a brief voice mail before heading to Castle's detective agency.

# # # # # # # # #

Beckett frowned as she looked at the sign on the front door. It was different – Hayley's name had been added as the chief investigator.

She pushed the door opened and walked inside.

"Welcome back, Captain Beckett," said Hayley with a slight smile.

"Martha said Rick left me a letter," Beckett said without preamble.

Hayley nodded. "Yes, he did," she said, handing her a large envelope. "The 'bat cave' is opened if you'd like some privacy."

Beckett nodded. "Thanks." She looked at Hayley. "Do you know what's in this?"

Hayley shrugged. "It was a little hard to miss."

Beckett walked into the hidden room and quickly opened the letter, taking out a sheet of typewritten paper, and began to read.

 _Kate,_

 _The fake Jenkins tells me you're okay and that they need you for a few days to tie up any loose ends in the LokSat case. I wasn't sure when you were going to be back, so I left this letter in Hayley's care._

 _There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to say it without a lot of words._

 _I have to go away for a while – I'm not sure how long, maybe a couple of months, maybe longer. Let's just say that with everything that happened, the flashbacks are getting worse – more violent. The fake Jenkins thinks they can restore my memories and that might help, but he said that I can't have contact with anyone while they try. Kinda of like rehab._

 _So now, I'm asking the same thing that you asked me several weeks ago – to give me time and space while I work this out. This is about me – my life – and what I need to do so that I'm not a danger to the people around me. I couldn't live with myself if I hurt anyone (besides Esposito)._

Beckett gripped the paper tighter. Part of her shouted in vain that this should have been their decision, while another part said quietly that this is exactly what she had just done to him on more than one occasion. She continued reading as she blinked back tears.

 _And in an ironic turn of events – or maybe it's just my bad karma catching up with me – the judge who married us stopped by the other day. It seems that our marriage license was never filed so we're not legally married. I asked Henry about that, but he said since it's past the filing date, there's nothing he can do._

 _To top that off, Sophia stopped by to say that her grant ended early and she's been offered a position in Washington State effective immediately. I took the liberty of moving the items you left at the loft back to your apartment. That probably worked out for the best since Alexis will be staying with Mother while I'm gone and you'll have your old place back._

 _Kate, I love you like a house on fire and I will always love you, but they can't guarantee that I'll be the same man after this is over, so I'm not asking you to wait._

 _Always, Castle_

Beckett folded over on herself with a sob, the letter fluttering to the floor. She shouldn't have left in the first place and then she should have demanded that they let her come home – he shouldn't have had to face this on his own.

"It's not your fault," came Hayley's voice from the door as she watched her.

Beckett stood and wiped the tears off of her face as she choked back a sob. "Yes, it is – this is all on me. I'm the one who started this by walking away, investigating LokSat on my own, putting that ahead of my marriage."

"And that would have prevented all of this from happening? Prevented Castle from going to Thailand and finding the drugs on the plane. Prevented LokSat from kidnapping him and trying to erase his memories of them?" Hayley commented.

At Beckett's puzzled expression, she continued. "My point is that all of that happened before you even knew about LokSat and something would have happened to trigger him at some point."

Beckett nodded and then frowned at her again. "He told you what happened? He wasn't supposed to tell anyone."

Hayley just smiled and winked at her. "Let's just say he was on some heavy painkillers at the time. He couldn't help but run his mouth. Don't worry – I made sure no one else heard."

Beckett bent down and picked up the letter off the floor, searching out a specific paragraph. She looked at Hayley. "He said that the flashbacks were worse – that they were violent." She swallowed. "Just how bad were they to make him leave his family – to leave me?"

Hayley hummed slightly. "They started small. The day he got back, he screamed at Alexis – oh, he apologized immediately, but I could tell he had no clue why he did it and was scared he'd do it again.

"There were a few others, minor ones, but the worst one happened the day he found out you weren't legally married and Sophia stopped by." Hayley looked over her shoulder towards the front room. "He'd been having trouble with the lock on the front door sticking. After he made arrangements for your items to be moved back to your apartment, he tried to leave but the lock stuck and he couldn't get the front door open. And he said he thought he was back at the trailer, beating on the metal door to escape."

"Only the front door here is made of glass," Beckett finished with a groan.

Hayley nodded. "Luckily, I was the one to find him, not Alexis. I calmed him down and called 911. I'm sure he didn't mention it, but it took 30 stitches to close the cuts on his hands. Hence the heavy pain meds."

Beckett could only nod miserably, blinking back tears.

"So, he called…that guy…and asked me to run the agency," said Hayley. "He left a day later." She paused. "I think the thing that he's most afraid of in all this was that you wouldn't want to get married again. That you were done."

"But I do and I'm not," Beckett replied quietly.

Hayley nodded as she looked at Beckett sympathetically. "I know."

She then pulled a key out of her pocket and handed it to Beckett. "He really tried to wait for you so you could talk."

Hayley paused. "Do you want to go out for a drink? Maybe talk? I'm a fairly good listener."

"No, I think I'll just go…home," Beckett said as she took the key.

# # # # # # # #

The day started out so great to end so badly, Beckett thought as she trudged towards her old apartment door. Then, she was married with her loving husband waiting for her at their home.

Now, she was single again and returning to her apartment, not their home. At least she had a home. When she moved out, she never thought she'd be coming back here.

She wiped the tears from her eyes as she stood in front of her door and then looked around, sniffing the air.

Her neighbor across the hall, Mrs. Nedermyer, must have sprayed the hallway again, this time using the entire can of floral scented air freshener.

Beckett put the key in the door, unlocked it, and then stepped inside, only to backwalk out the door and check the number on the door to make sure she was in the right place.

Yes, she was, but her apartment looked more like a floral shop. Floral arrangements of all types sat on almost every flat surface in the living room and dining room – roses, calla lilies, bells of Ireland, freesia, Gerber daisies, hydrangea, narcissus, peonies, large sunny sunflowers, and several that she didn't even know the names of.

She closed the door and walked forward, touching the bouquets gently, leaning forward to breathe in their scent.

Beckett walked through the rest of her apartment. There were arrangements in the bedroom and bathroom as well.

She was startled out of her dream-like state when a knock sounded on the door. She quickly walked over and looked out the peephole to see Martha and Alexis standing there, bags in hand.

Beckett swallowed thickly before putting a smile that she didn't feel on her face and opening the door.

"We brought dinner," said Alexis a little too brightly as she held up her bag. "Chinese and wine."

"Go big or go home, eh, dear?" said Martha as she walked into the apartment and put the bag she was carrying on the kitchen counter.

Beckett nodded, eyes shining with tears. "Yeah, it's really something."

"I bet you're famished," Martha said. "Alexis, be a dear and get plates, silverware, and glasses."

"Sure, Grams," Alexis said, walking to the kitchen.

Martha looked back at Beckett.

"I'm sorry, Martha," Beckett said quietly. "I handled this all wrong. I should have been here – I shouldn't have left."

"Nonsense, dear," Martha said as she put a palm gently against Beckett's cheek and smiled at her. "I know my son and if you had been here, Richard would have tried to handle this on his own and not gotten the help that he so desperately needs. No, it's better this way."

Beckett nodded, a couple of tears tracking down her cheeks.

Martha pulled her into a tight hug. "That way, when he comes back, you can have a fresh start," she whispered in her ear.

"Dinner's ready," said Alexis.

The three women sat at the table and held hands, performing the same ritual they had developed when Castle had gone missing the first time.

Martha closed her eyes and said, "Please watch over Richard and bring him back safe and sound."

They squeezed hands and then Alexis opened up the cartons.

Martha poured 3 glasses of wine and as she handed one to Beckett, she said, eyes twinkling, "So, Katherine, what juicy details of your latest adventure can you tell us that Richard left out?"

# # # # # # # #


	9. Chapter 9 Setting Up the Dominos Again

**The Domino Effect**

 _Summary_ : SPOILER ALERTS for season 8 – an AU for season 8 (using an idea borrowed from episode 5). One domino falling can set off a chain reaction. What if that one domino is Richard Castle?

 _AN_ : Thanks for all the reviews, favs, and follows. They really mean a lot. And yeah, I am so glad my doomsday scenario didn't come true (that they weren't really married – the 1st Mr. and Mrs. Smith movie – although in the movie, the main characters got back together in the very end). And sorry for the delay in posting. It's Thanksgiving and Black Friday/Cyber Monday OCD shopping time again! And another yeah that fanfic doesn't have a budget that the tv show has to stick to so I can do whatever I can imagine.

I thought this would be the last chapter, but there is 1 more chapter because this chapter got too little long.

Disclaimer - I don't own Castle.

 **Chapter 9 – Setting Up the Dominos Again**

# # # # # # # # #

Castle took a deep breath and slowly let it out as he boarded the empty 737 for his pre-Christmas Eve early morning flight back to NYC. Except for the two pilots, an engineer, and one flight attendant, he was the only other person on the plane.

And the plane wasn't a normal passenger plane either. The front of the plane behind the cockpit was an open concept, with the several seats of high quality leather chairs positioned around tables. Then came several rows of wide leather seats, three per row with plenty of leg and elbow room and individual video monitors for each seat. A curtain divided the back half of the plane where the galley, restrooms, and sleeping areas were housed.

More like a fancy tour bus for a rock star, he thought as he looked around the plane and then sat down in a seat on the front row, stretching out his long legs and thinking about some of the cramped flights he had been on. By contrast, this was sheer bliss – almost; it did seem a little lonely and kind of wasteful.

The flight attendant smiled the mandatory flight attendant smile at him as she stopped by his seat. "Is there anything you need before take-off, Mr. Castle?"

Castle shook his head. "No thanks. I really appreciate this. Someone must have gone to a lot of expense," he said, motioning around the empty plane.

The flight attendant shook her head. "Not really. We were headed to NYC today to pick up a group of visiting dignitaries and you needed a ride back, so we'll just call this an 'Angel' flight."

Castle chuckled slightly and then beamed his suave public smile at her. "Do you know how long the flight will be?" he asked innocently. "Any chance of food service and a movie?"

He had been so focused on finding a cure to his problem that he hadn't paid much attention to where he actually was when he arrived at what was affectionately known as 'The Insane Asylum,' a lodge in an almost pristine mountain setting that reminded him of the eerie lodge in 'The Shining.' And when he quipped 'Heeere's Johnny!' to cover his nervousness, he was met with a steely stare. And that left him with a mystery to solve, which apparently he was very OCD about as the tests showed – where exactly do you send assets who need help?

The flight attendant smirked at him. She had been warned he would try to wheedle the information out of her.

"I'll see if I can find a bag of peanuts and something for you to watch if you get bored," she responded.

She glanced up as the seatbelt sign came on. "After we've reached cruising altitude, I'll be back to check on you."

"Thanks," said Castle, knowing he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar trying to find out exactly where he had been these last few weeks.

The attendant walked to the back of the plane and closed the curtain behind her.

Castle fastened his seatbelt and leaned back in the seat as he heard the jet engines rev as the plane started to taxi down the runway.

Soon, he felt the plane lift into the air, gaining altitude as it took flight into the clear blue sky.

As they reached cruising altitude, the flight attendant walked back and handed him a bag of cookies and a bottle of water. "They haven't stocked the plane yet, but I did find these."

"Thanks," Castle nodded as he took the items and put them in the empty seat next to him.

"And bad news about the movies. It seems that the only thing we have online is 'The Rear Window'. If you want to watch it, just press Play," she said, indicating the buttons on the seat arm.

"Thanks," Castle said, nodding at the irony of the choice.

"I've got to prep for the next flight, so just call me if you need anything," she said and then walked to the back of the plane again.

Castle picked up the bag of cookies and smiled slightly – maybe his good karma was kicking in finally; he hadn't had much of that lately.

These were his favorite cookies from Jacques Torres Chocolate Haven – double chocolate mudslide cookie with walnuts. Maybe later he'd ask the attendant to warm them up in the microwave and share them with the crew – they were simply to die for, except that they were on an airplane, so maybe that wasn't the most appropriate thought at this time.

He quickly squashed that thought and pushed the Play button on the armrest. The screen lit up and he let the previews run as his mind wandered over what had happened the past few months.

He hadn't known what to expect when he had accepted the invitation for help but knew that he needed it and needed it desperately. When he arrived, they hadn't been too reassuring about what they could do for him after the initial assessment, but they said they would try if he would.

And try, he did. Make no mistake, it had been rough couple of weeks and several times he had thought about just giving up, throwing in the towel and curling up into a little ball and never getting up again.

But the thought of never seeing his family again – of never seeing his mother or Alexis … or Kate – gave him the strength to go on, just like he remembered that focusing on them when he was lost at sea on a small dingy with no hope of rescue, slowly dying of thirst, had given him the strength to go on. They were his lifeline – his magnet – his true north.

Once treatment began, most of his memories returned quickly, but some, especially of the time he had spent in the real Jenkins' trailer, would probably always be gone. He thought that was for the best though after watching some of the videos they had found of what LocSat had done to him.

The tale that the fake Jenkins (whose real name he still didn't know) had told him hadn't been too far off from the truth – he had gone to Thailand to help extricate Bilah. But it was what happened before and after that had to be pieced back together for the story to make sense to his mind and calm his panic attacks when a memory finally strong armed its way into his consciousness. And those memories concerned LocSat and drug smuggling.

So, during his sabbatical, he was forced to spend a lot of time reflecting, something he definitely wasn't prone to doing, and deciding what he wanted out of life.

The one thing he decided on almost immediately was that he wanted to be home with his family for Christmas. That had always been a special time for him, a magical time that gave him hope that things would work out no matter what life was currently like, and he needed a little magic now with everything that had happened.

Castle opened the bottle of water and took a sip.

Was he cured? No, they said that he never would be. But was he better? Definitely – he had learned coping mechanisms that he could use when wisps of unsettling ghostly images curled around the edges of his mind at inopportune times and threatened to drag him under with them. And they had arranged for him to meet with a trusted psychiatrist in NYC on a weekly basis for a while to see how he was doing.

Castle turned his attention to the monitor as it showed Jimmy Stewart rolling around in his wheelchair, holding his binoculars and using them to peek into his neighbor's lives, a situation Castle could definitely relate to. He smiled as he remembered the surprise birthday party that Kate had thrown for him a couple of years ago, in happier times, before she left him…and before he left her.

He knew that he loved her and he would always be in love with her, and knew that he would forgive her for pushing him away. She had done it to keep him safe, just as he had kept his meetings with Smith secret from Beckett to keep her safe.

He just didn't happen to like it very much.

Castle smiled as he watched as the scene unfolded as Stewart watched his neighbors and then frowned. The scene on the monitor wasn't in the movie – it was of someone watching through a window, but this time, 3 women stood around a Christmas tree, decorating it, as 'I'll Be Home for Christmas' played in the background.

He frowned as he squinted at the monitor – he knew them – the woman dressed as Mrs. Santa Claus was his mother, and the two elves were Alexis and…Kate.

But where? How? his brain scrambled and then became aware that he was hearing the same music that was on the video coming from the back of the plane behind the curtain.

He quickly stood and walked to the curtain, pausing before opening it, to find the 3 women in his life standing before a small Christmas tree, smiling at him.

"Surprise!" they said in unison.

"Dad!" Alexis called out joyously as she leapt across the open space and into his arms.

Castle caught her in a big bear hug, spinning her around and kissing her hair. "Oh, Pumpkin, I've missed you so much."

Martha was next after Castle released Alexis. "Oh, my brave, brave boy," she said, holding his face between her hands as she blinked back tears.

"Mom," he said, gathering her into a not-quite-as-tight hug. "I've missed you," he whispered into her ear. He pulled back slightly. "How'd you pull this off?"

"Oh, you're not the only one who knows someone, kiddo," she responded with a knowing smile and then looked over his shoulder at Beckett.

Castle nodded slightly and turned to face his … he wasn't sure at this point.

And apparently neither was she as she faltered.

"Hi," he said, suddenly bashful.

"Hi," she said back, pushing a piece of hair behind her pointed ear.

"Nice outfit," he said.

Beckett nodded as she chewed on her bottom lip. "You know the saying – go big or go home."

The flight attendant cleared her throat and smiled at the group. "If you'll take your seats up front, I'll serve brunch in about 10 minutes."

Castle nodded, smiling. "After you, Mother," he said, sweeping his arm in the direction of the front of the plane.

Beckett stood back slightly and nodded for Alexis to take Castle's arm.

Soon, they were seated at one of the tables, eating a 4-star meal and chit-chatting about what had happened during the time that Castle was gone.

Martha's acting classes were going well and she had been called about doing another play on off-Broadway.

Alexis had finished her finals and had 1 semester left in her undergraduate degree. While she enjoyed working with her father, she wanted to expand her horizons and had talked with Lanie about applying to medical schools.

Beckett caught him up on the happenings at the precinct. Being the captain was both overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time, leaving her to juggle field work, precinct paper work, and politics. Her predecessors had made it look easy, but they weren't as hands on as she was. Still, she was managing.

Martha finally stood up and glanced meaningfully at Alexis. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go powder my nose," she said. "Alexis, dear?"

Alexis frowned slightly and then took the hint and stood, smiling. "I'll check if they have any more of those cookies in the back," she said a little too brightly and then took her grandmother's arm as they walked to the back of the plane.

Castle waited until they had walked past the curtain and then looked at Beckett.

"This is amazing," he said, trying for a neutral ice-breaker.

Beckett nodded, looking around. "Yeah, it is." She took a breath. "I think it's Milton Frierburg's way of making everything up to you."

"Milton Frierburg?" Castle questioned.

"The fake Henry Jenkins," Beckett responded.

Castle chuckled slightly. "I think I'd change my name too," he quipped and then fell silent.

There was a long pregnant pause before Beckett said, "Castle…" at the same time that Castle said, "Beckett…"

They both laughed slightly, a little awkwardly, and then Beckett took a deep breath.

"Rick, I want to say something and I don't want you to interrupt me until I'm finished – okay? Because you're the writer and you have a way with words. I don't," Beckett said.

Castle nodded, frowning slightly.

She took a deep breath and pressed her lips into a thin line, her brow furrowing, before she started speaking.

"I'm sorry," she said simply, looking at him, unshed tears in her eyes. "For what I did – for lying to you when I promised I wouldn't, for pushing you away. I was just trying to protect you, but I realize that didn't protect you at all – all I did was hurt you."

She swallowed before she confessed in a quiet voice, "And the worst of it is that I could have made it back in time before you left, but I was still too caught up in all of 'this' to let it go. I could have seen you and told you that I love you."

Castle nodded again, a pained expression on his face that he quickly subdued, and remained quiet.

Beckett pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "I realize that I've never truly gotten over my mother's murder, so, since you've been gone, I've been seeing Dr. Burke to try to fix this obsession so I can be a better person – be the person that you deserve."

Beckett looked down at the floor. "So, if it's okay with you, I'd like to start over." She looked up at him and held out her right hand. "Hi, I'm Captain Kate Beckett, NYPD Homicide, and I have an obsession that makes me do stupid things at times."

She held her breath as she waited.

Castle sat back, studying her, and waited a few more seconds as his brain absorbed what she had just said.

"No," he said simply, shaking his head. "No, Kate, I don't want to start over." He stood and started to pace as Beckett slowly lowered her hand to her lap.

Castle ran a hand through his hair. "I've had a lot of time to reflect these last few weeks – in fact, that's mostly what I've been doing, which is something new for me."

He stopped and looked at her. "Kate, I realize that people have let you down – the police who bungled your mother's murder investigation and the police who covered it up. Hell, I even let you down when I worked with Smith after Bracken tried to kill you and didn't tell you because I thought that would keep you safe. So I know that you don't trust people easily and with good reason.

"Your mother's murder might have sparked your unrelenting drive, your unquenchable thirst for justice, but I think it was always a part of you. And I lost sight of that when you agreed to marry me because I was so happy that you had.

"That drive is what drew me to you in the first place. And I now know that Bracken was right, you'll always be tilting at windmills. This case is over, but there will just be another case. And I'm not saying it's wrong – that you need to be fixed. The world needs people like you, who put it all on the line to make sure the right thing is done. And I know that no matter what I do, I'll always be second to that and I've come to realize that that's okay, so long as you don't shut me out."

Castle took a breath. "So, no, I don't want to start over. We've wasted too much time, Kate, so I want to pick up where we left off."

He dropped down on one knee and held out a ring. "So, Katherine Houghton Beckett, I'm asking you to marry me for real this time."

# # # # # # # # # #


	10. Chapter 10 Third Times a Charm

**The Domino Effect**

 _Summary_ : SPOILER ALERTS for season 8 – an AU for season 8 (using an idea borrowed from episode 5). One domino falling can set off a chain reaction. What if that one domino is Richard Castle?

 _AN_ : And this is because I wanted a longer discussion than what we saw in the show, but they have a time limit. I miss the days when hour-long tv shows were 55 minutes. But now days though, those extra 13 or so minutes would add significantly to the budget, not to mention reducing the advertising time.

BTW, the words that Judge Markway says come from one of the many wedding sites online - I didn't write them, but they seemed very appropriate for Castle and Beckett when I read them. And now I can't find the link to that site - bummer.

And now we come to the end of another story. And yep, I repeated lines from _The Time of Our Lives_. Thanks for reading, fav'ing, and reviewing. Happy Holidays to everyone who celebrates holidays during this time of the year. Peace be with you.

Disclaimer - I don't own Castle.

 **Chapter 10 – Third Time's a Charm**

# # # # # # # # #

"No," Beckett said as her head snapped up, suddenly as serious as Castle was.

"No?" Castle echoed back, a feeling of Déjà vu washing over him.

"No," Beckett said firmly as if she had had an 'aha' moment.

"No, you don't want to marry me?" Castle asked hesitantly.

"No, no, not that – never that," Beckett said quickly to reassure him, smiling and taking his free hand in hers.

"Then what?" Castle asked hesitantly, shifting so that he was seated once again but not letting go of her hand. "I'm kind of clueless here, Kate."

Beckett looked at him, her eyes bright. "Yes, babe, I want to marry you – more than anything else."

"Then why no?" Castle asked, clearly confused.

"Because you shouldn't feel like you have to settle – to be second place. Because you're _**not**_. _**You**_ are the most important thing – the most important person – in my life. And I acted like you weren't."

She worried her bottom lip between her teeth before speaking. "When we took down Bracken, I thought that it was over and I could put that part of my life behind me so I could have a normal life. But then I found out it wasn't over – that there was someone else out there who was connected to my mom's murder. And I was right back there again – down that rabbit hole that I had tried so hard to get out of for so long." She pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "And I knew that I couldn't drag you down too, so I pushed you away to keep you safe."

Castle frowned. "But you could have, Kate – we're partners."

Beckett nodded, tears in her eyes. "I know that now, but when that rabbit hole opened up, Rick, it was like I had blinders on – that was all I could see – and so I did what I always do – I push people away and go at it on my own."

"Well, you did have a little help from Vikram," Castle commented.

"Yeah, but he was expendable," Beckett said, smiling slightly and wiping a tear away from her cheek. "But I was wrong and it turns out that nothing I did really mattered after all, because it didn't keep you safe and all it did was hurt you and drive you away."

Castle cupped her cheek with his hand as he looked at her intently. "No, Kate, what you did mattered. It started the memories that ultimately led us to LocSat and brought him to justice."

He paused for a moment, unsure of how much to share with her so she wouldn't feel guiltier than she already did. "While I was 'there', they said that the stress I was under probably caused the memories start to come back."

"Oh, Rick, I'm so sorry," Beckett said as the tears in her eyes started to well up again.

Castle shook his head. "No, Kate, I'm not. If you hadn't, I wouldn't have remembered enough to start the dominos falling and LocSat would still be out there. He would still be a threat to our family and we would have never known."

He chuckled slightly. "Besides, we don't live in a stress-free world. If stress brought on the memories, imagine what would have happened if I 'Hulked' out at one of Mother's openings or at Alexis' wedding? When it happened, all I did was wound Espo's manly pride and he'll recover from that, especially if I loan him the Ferrari for a month or so."

Beckett laughed softly.

"So now what?" Castle asked.

Beckett shrugged. "I know I've said these things before – in my wedding vows, I said we'd be partners and then I promised you no more lies – but when things got bad, I did the exact opposite. I'm working on stopping that – to not go down the rabbit hole – but I know that if it ever happens again, I need you with me to pull me out."

Castle nodded. "I can do that, Kate, and we'll figure it out." He looked at her intently. "Just so long as you don't shut me out when you tilt at windmills."

Beckett shook her head. "I won't, not anymore."

"Then, I'll ask you again," Castle said, dropping down to one knee and offering the ring. "Katherine Houghton Beckett, will you marry me?"

"Yes, Richard Alexander Edgar Rogers Castle, I'll marry you," Beckett replied, smiling.

Castle slipped the ring on her finger and then stood, catching her in a tight hug. "I've missed you so much, Kate," he whispered in her ear.

"I've missed you too," Beckett replied as their lips met.

After a few minutes, they were interrupted by Martha's loud, "Ahem" behind the curtain.

"Before you two get too involved and think about joining the mile-high club, the pilot would really like to land. He's already circled once," she called out. "If he does it again, he'll start charging by the hour."

"Killjoy," Castle stage-whispered. "Yes, Mother, we're decent – you can come in."

"Good," said Martha as she and Alexis walked back up to the front. "Because you do need to save a little for the honeymoon."

# # # # # # # # #

Glass in hand, Castle stood by his office door and looked around the loft, impressed by the grandiose scene before him as Christmas carols played softly in the background.

His girls had gone all out when they found out that he would be home in time Christmas and had pulled out all the stops with the Christmas decorations. Martha had even planned a surprise party for him and invited their friends from the precinct and several close associates.

Bob stood by the wet bar, talking with Judge Markway. Ryan, an obviously pregnant Jenny, Espo, and Hayley stood by the fireplace, laughing at something the boys had said. Paula and Gina stood in one corner, whispering, and he was sure they were plotting his upcoming book tours now that he was back from 'researching' his next series of books. Deputy Commissioner Gates and her husband had even come and were talking with Maddie who had catered the affair.

Castle brought the glass to his lips and took a small sip, grimacing slightly – alcohol was on his 'naughty' list, so the sparkling white grape juice would have to do for now – when Alexis walked out of his office and over to him.

"We're ready," she whispered in his ear.

"Thanks, Pumpkin," he said, beaming at her and giving her a hug and a kiss on the temple.

He walked over to the Christmas tree and rapped gently on the glass with a spoon to get everyone's attention, and then waited a few moments for the small gathering to quiet down.

"I wanted to thank you all for coming tonight especially at the last minute," Castle said. "And for your support during these past few weeks – it really means a lot to Kate and me."

He took a breath. "Because, as I'm sure you know, we recently found out that we weren't legally married. So, tonight, we're going to remedy that, and we wanted to share this moment with all of you."

There were several delighted gasps and murmurs as he nodded at Judge Markway who walked over to him.

As they stood there, the wedding processional that Kate had originally picked out started playing and the door to Castle's office opened, revealing Beckett standing there, not in the outfit she had worn at their quickie wedding which Castle had expected, but wearing her mother's wedding gown that had been lovingly and tenderly restored.

Beckett smiled at Castle as she watched the look on his face change to one of joyous surprise and started forward, Jim walking her the short distance to where Castle stood.

"Welcome, family, friends and loved ones. We gather here today to celebrate the wedding of Rick and Kate," the judge said. "You have come here to share in this formal commitment they make to one another, to offer your love and support to this union, and to allow Rick and Kate to start their married life together surrounded by the people dearest and most important to them."

He looked over to where Beckett and Jim stood. "Who gives this woman away?"

Jim nodded solemnly. "Her mother and I do," he said and then lifted the short veil and kissed Kate on the cheek.

She returned the kiss and then stepped forward as Jim stepped backward to join Martha.

Markway smiled at Castle and Beckett. "As you are aware, marriage is perhaps the greatest and most challenging adventure of human relationships. No ceremony can create your marriage; only you can do that – through love and patience; through dedication and perseverance; through talking and listening, helping and supporting and believing in each other; through tenderness and laughter; through learning to forgive, learning to appreciate your differences, and by learning to make the important things matter, and to let go of the rest. What this ceremony can do is to witness and affirm the choice you make to stand together as lifemates and partners.

"We've come to the point of your ceremony where you're going to say your vows to one another. But before you do that, I ask you to remember that love – which is rooted in faith, trust, and acceptance - will be the foundation of an abiding and deepening relationship. No other ties are more tender, no other vows more sacred than those you now assume. If you are able to keep the vows you take here today, not because of any religious or civic law, but out of a desire to love and be loved by another person fully, without limitation, then your life will have joy and the home you establish will be a place in which you both will find the direction of your growth, your freedom, and your responsibility."

He looked at Beckett. "Kate, if you will…"

Beckett nodded at him and then turned to face Castle and gathered his hands in hers.

" _The moment that I met you, my life became extraordinary. You taught me to be my best self, to look forward to tomorrow's adventures, and when I was vulnerable, you were strong. I love you, Richard Castle, and I want to live my life in the warmth of your smile and the strength of your embrace. I promise you I will love you, I will be your friend and your partner in crime and in life, always."_

Castle smiled tenderly at her and started.

" _The moment we met, my life became extraordinary. You taught me more about myself than I knew there was to learn. You are the joy in my heart, you're the last person I want to see every night when I close my eyes. I love you, Katherine Beckett, and the mystery of you is the one I want to spend the rest of my life exploring. I promise to love you, to be your friend and your partner in crime and life til death do us part. And for the time of our lives,"_ he finished with a wink.

"And now for the rings," Markway said.

Martha handed Beckett the ring for Castle while Alexis handed Castle the ring for Beckett.

"Please repeat after me: I give you this ring, as a daily reminder of my love for you," he directed to Castle who repeated the words and slipped the ring on Beckett's finger.

Beckett then repeated the process and they joined hands again.

Markway smiled. "By the power of your love and commitment, and the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife! Rick, you may kiss your bride."

The couple happily complied to the applause of the people surrounding them.

As they broke off, Markway said to the gathering, "I now present Richard Castle and Katherine Beckett – and the third time's the charm."

# # # # # # # # #

The rest of the evening was spent partying, with the highlights being the cutting of the cake (a smaller version of the first wedding cake), the toast to Beckett and semi-roasting of Castle, and Ryan and Espo performing the song they had written for the first wedding that never took place.

As the guests were departing, Castle walked over to the bartender as he closed up the wet bar and handed him an envelope.

"I was surprised that you could get the night off," he said quietly to dark-haired bespectacled man.

"Well, it's not every day my son gets married – for real," the bartender replied.

"I'm glad you could be here – both of you," he said, nodding to the head waitress who was boxing up the left-over food to take to a shelter.

"Well, it was a special occasion," Hunt replied.

"So is it really over this time?" Castle asked quietly.

Hunt nodded. "The organization has been dismantled. That doesn't mean there isn't someone else waiting in the wings to take their place, but it'll be a while and we'll be watching. Think of it as a wedding gift."

"Thanks," said Castle.

"And son," Hunt said, "you know that I never wanted this to happen – for you to be involved."

"If I hadn't been, we wouldn't have found out about LocSat," replied Castle. "So in a way, it was a blessing in disguise, albeit a rather strange blessing that I never want again."

"Tell your lovely bride goodbye for us," Hunt said, packing the last box.

"Take care," Castle said as they shook hands.

Beckett walked over to take Castle's arm as Hunt and the caterers walked out of the loft.

After the cutting of the cake and the toast, she had changed into the outfit she had worn for the quickie wedding, but this time had a red bow tied around her waist.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Just saying goodbye," Castle replied as he put his arm around Beckett.

Beckett leaned into him. "Do you think we'll ever see them again?"

Castle huffed out a breath. "I hope the hell not," he replied. "They always seem to bring trouble with them."

"Like you're not a magnet for it already," Beckett replied, kissing him on the cheek. "So, your mom and Alexis are staying at her place – do you want to unwrap your Christmas present now?"

"I like the sound of that," Castle replied, shifting her so that they were facing each other. "Except I didn't get you anything."

"Oh, I think I see something I can unwrap," Beckett said as she placed her lips on his.

# # # # # # # #

Later, as they lay in their bed after having unwrapped their presents, Beckett examined the ring that Castle had given her on the plane.

"This is amazing, Rick," she said at the intricate design. "But what's it made of?"

Castle blushed slightly. "The wire from twist ties," he confessed.

At her confused look, he added, "They wouldn't let the 'inmates' have anything made of metal – you know – because of their special skills, but twist ties were deemed safe. There was this one woman who could make these incredible sculptures out of them, so I asked her to make you a ring."

Beckett slipped the ring on her finger with the other rings. "I'm glad you did," she said, gazing at it, and then snuggled against him, his warm arms enveloping her. "And I'm so glad you're home."

"Me too," said Castle as he kissed her hair.

She hummed in contentment against him and then looked up at him curiously. "So did you ever remember what happened to the diamonds?"

Castle chuckled slightly. "Yeah – it seems I wasn't too far off with my fake vision in the real Jenkins' office."

She rolled over so she could look at him.

"When we were in Thailand, I saw these elephants in a shop – they were just like your mom's elephants, only in jade, so I made them stop so I could buy them."

Beckett smiled slightly. Only Castle would think of buying souvenirs on a covert mission.

"They had a secret compartment too, just like your mom's elephants," Castle continued. "When I found the diamonds, I put them there for safe-keeping."

"So the elephants ate the diamonds," she said, quoting what he had said.

"And the snake ate the elephants," Castle replied, nodding.

Beckett looked at him curiously.

"When we were hiding in the swamp, I turned around and there was this big python gliding over towards us with its mouth open, so I took the only thing I had – "

"The elephants," Beckett said.

"And shoved it down its throat. So, if they want those diamonds, they're going to have to hunt through all the swamps to find that snake," Castle finished.

"So you don't want to go back and hunt for treasure?" she teased him.

"No – swimming in the swamp once was enough. I can cross that off my non-bucket list," Castle smirked at her. "Besides, I have all the treasure I want right here that I want to plunder," he said as he hand slid down her stomach and their lips met.

# # # # # # # #

The End

# # # # # # # #


End file.
